Abstract

The focus of my dissertation is on the somewhat contested history of being a green first mover in both politics and business, as the main purpose of the project is to highlight how and why companies homebound in Denmark became world leading within the field of green offshore, that is the offshore wind turbine industry. This history is often referred to as one of the most successful Danish business adventures of all times – even though the road to success has and still to this day is rocky. The research question will be investigated with a focus on two main actors: What role did the market actors, i.e., the companies, play, and what role did the state play? And in what way did previous experiences effect future expectations for the role of renewable energy in Danmark? It is now widely acknowledged in the existing research literature that the era of neoliberalism and globalization did not lead to a smaller state, but rather to far more complex forms of state effects in the economy. The relation between the marked actors and the state is central to the analysis, and to understand the development, it is important to know, when and how the Danish energy policies and business policies went “green” based on the assumption that the question of economic growth vs. sustainability is a key issue of the globalization era.

Bio: Anne Horsted Møller, PhD Fellow in the field of political, business and energy history at The Department of Culture and Language, University of Southern Denmark (Period of enrollment: March 1st, 2023, to May 31st, 2026)

Coffee, tea, cake and fruit will be served before the colloquium @2 pm