Excellencies, Minister, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon, 

Let’s start by looking back to the early 20th century.  In the wake of the First World War and the ravages it left behind, a group of people from a range of professions came together to develop new building techniques and materials. This collaboration led to more efficient and functional designs that were better suited to the needs of modern society. The movement focused also on creating designs that were affordable and accessible to everyone.

This is known today as the Bauhaus movement. A movement that radically changed the building environment in Western countries and forged a systemic and lasting change to how architecture and design is conceived. 

Fast forward approximately 100 years to 2020, when the European Bauhaus movement was launched. Once again with the aim of working across professions to create systemic change - but this time with sustainability at the core of its mission. 

A movement with the aim of being; An accelerator for new solutions. A forum for dialogue. A source for inspiration in the quest to design new circular societies and realizing the vision of the world of tomorrow.

It is therefore a great a pleasure to welcome you all to this roundtable discussion today. I hope that - in the spirit of the New European Bauhaus movement - participants will inspire each other, build on the results from Milan Design Week 2021 and together forge the path towards a more sustainable urban society.

Thank you to Politecnico di Milano for hosting us here in this beautiful location. 

Our planet is facing immense challenges, and we must all take responsibility and work together to find solutions that allow us to live sustainably while maintaining the quality of life we so value.

And cities play a crucial role in this endeavour. According to the United Nations, more than half of the world's population currently live in urban areas, and this number is expected to increase in the coming years. Therefore, it is essential that there is focus on sustainable urban development to ensure that our cities can continue to develop and thrive whilst minimising the harm caused to the environment.

In Denmark, creativity is central in responding to complex problems. This combined with the key characteristics of Danish design: being simplicity, functionality, and beauty - along with sustainability and accessibility ensures that people and society are at the core of Danish solutions and products. 

Today, more than ever, there exists unprecedented opportunities for companies who think green and have sustainability and design as an integrated part of their DNA. However, achieving a circular society requires wide ranging collaboration between governments, businesses, and citizens.

SDG 17, also known as “Partnerships for the Goals”, highlights the significance of international cooperation and collaboration in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. 

As two countries who are renowned for their strong traditions in design and innovation and for their architectural heritage, Italy and Denmark have a great deal of knowledge and experience to share.  This is also true when it comes to developing new innovative solutions in partnership and with other countries. 

It is no coincidence that both Italy and Denmark play a key role in the new European Bauhaus initiative. The pillars of New European Bauhaus – sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion – perfectly reflect the characteristics that Italy and Denmark use in their transdisciplinary approach to tackling the new challenges facing our societies today.

It is a pleasure for me to accompany this Danish business delegation and support the important and further dialogue and collaboration between Denmark and Italy within sustainable urban development.

Thank you.

(Det talte ord gælder)