Lasse Frimand Jensen appointed as new Chairman of Port of Aalborg

Lasse Frimand Jensen is the new Chairman of the Board of Port of Aalborg. He was appointed at an inaugural board meeting and general meeting on January 19.

He replaces the Mayor of Aalborg Municipality Thomas Kastrup-Larsen who has been Chairman of the Board for the last eight years.

Lasse Frimand Jensen will be Chairman of the Board during a period of great development at Port of Aalborg, which for many years has invested heavily in expansions of the company’s business areas in eastern Aalborg, where more than 100 companies have established themselves.

– Port of Aalborg has built up a strong position as a modern inland harbor with its eyes on both the water and the hinterland, a comprehensive logistics setup, and focus on sustainability and green transition. But we are far from being at the end of our development. We must continue the implementation of our ambitious development strategy, and I am very confident that the overall responsibility for this task will be placed with Lasse Frimand Jensen, who has in-depth knowledge of the port, says Thomas Kastrup-Larsen, Mayor of Aalborg Municipality.

Since 2018, Lasse Frimand Jensen has been Chairman of the Board of the port’s operating company Port of Aalborg Logistics, and he is very much looking forward to starting his new role:

– I am very pleased and proud that the Board of Directors has chosen me as Chairman of the Board of Port of Aalborg. I look forward to continuing the company’s ambitious course together with the Executive Board and the port’s skilled employees, says Lasse Frimand Jensen.

In addition to his role as Chairman of the Board of Port of Aalborg, Lasse Frimand Jensen is also political group leader of the Social Democratic City Council Group. On a daily basis, he works as team leader for International House North Denmark – a network house for North Danish companies that need to attract and retain international labor.

Global view

Port of Aalborg’s development strategy, which Lasse Frimand Jensen now has the overall responsibility for carrying out, includes the goal of contributing to the creation of 5,000 new jobs in Aalborg Municipality by 2030. As in his daily work at International House North Denmark, the new Chairman of the Board will also look outside the country:

– The goal of the 5,000 new jobs must be achieved by continuing to invest significantly in making it even more attractive to do business in Aalborg, so that we partly strengthen the growth opportunities for the municipality’s existing companies and partly attract new companies. This includes international companies, which even more than today, must consider Aalborg as the ideal place in Northern Europe and Scandinavia to establish new activities, says Lasse Frimand Jensen.

Port of Aalborg expects to invest up to DKK 2 billion in the period 2020-2030 and the company has already, among other things, initiated a significant expansion of the port’s transport center. In addition, the first quay extension in 30 years is also being constructed.

World Champions in SDGs

Investments, however, are not only aimed at optimizing the framework for customer logistics. Lasse Frimand Jensen mentions sustainability and digitalization as crucial focus areas for the port in the coming years.

– The corona pandemic has made it very clear that we are strong in digitalization compared to the ports in our neighboring countries especially to the south, and we need to expand that position. In addition, we must be world champions of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, because there is no doubt that sustainability is increasingly becoming a competitive parameter. This also applies to social sustainability, where we, for example through our engagement in CSR associations such as Cool East, help make it easier and more tangible for companies to work with CSR for the benefit of the Eastern part of Aalborg and the other neighborhoods, says Lasse Frimand Jensen and continues:

– In addition, green transition will be a key area for us at several levels. We must strengthen the framework for companies working with green energy. Today, our area is through strong industrial clusters and players among the world leaders in e.g., testing wind turbine blades and developing methanol fuel cells for the automotive industry. At the same time, through our strong logistics, the development of industrial symbiosis and our commitment to e.g., Green Hub Denmark, we must help companies that establish themselves with us to improve their green bottom line.

About Lasse Frimand Jensen

Political group leader of the Social Democratic City Council Group
Team leader in International House North Denmark
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Port of Aalborg Logistics from early 2018 to the end of 2021

For further information, please contact:

• Lasse Frimand Jensen, Chairman of the Board, Port of Aalborg, tel. +45 31 99 06 49 and lfj-byraad@aalborg.dk
• Press service: Maja Thordahl Schou, Head of Branding & PR, Port of Aalborg A/S, tlf. 22 61 83 08 og mts@portofaalborg.com