Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2021.
The anniversary will be celebrated on October 29th at 1 pm, with a celebration in the Art Hall Square on the Waterfront between the Multicultural Centre and Alsik. Peter M. Clausen, Chairman of the Board of the Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation, will present two anniversary gifts from the Foundation to Sønderborg Municipality.
Minister of Taxation, Morten Bødskov (Social Democrat), will be speaking at the presentation of the anniversary gifts. Sønderborg Town Council will also attend, as well as representatives from Danfoss management and the Foundation's partners.
Everyone is welcome to attend the unveiling of the anniversary gifts. After the formal presentation of the anniversary gifts, there will be an opportunity to have birthday cake and something refreshing to drink.
Exhibition along the Town’s Harbour
Until December 23rd, a series of displays will be presented, along the Waterfront. These displays will be illustrating some of the many projects that Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation has supported over the past 50 years. All illustrations have QR codes and behind these you will find a virtual guestbook. Anyone who is interested can send a message through this link to Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation on the occasion of the anniversary.
We look forward to celebrating the 50th anniversary of Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation. We are especially excited about celebrating the development, dynamism, and growth that the Foundation, in close cooperation with Sønderborg Municipality as well as a wide range of local contributors, has supported through our activities. It makes me happy to think that, for 50 years, the Foundation has been able to help the region that my family and I hold so dear.
Peter M. Clausen, Chairman
“For the Good of Danfoss”
When Bitten Clausen founded the Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation on Christmas Eve 1971, she did so to protect Danfoss. By placing the ownership of the company within the Foundation, she wanted to create the best conditions for the company's continued growth and development based on its location on Als.
Since then, the Foundation has grown in activity and size, and today - half a century after its founding - Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation can celebrate its 50th anniversary as one of Denmark's largest corporate foundations. The story is described in the Foundation’s Anniversary Publication (danish edition) and can be read by clicking on the link.
The history of the Foundation goes hand in hand with the history of Southern Jutland's development into an attractive and dynamic region where people and businesses want to settle. In recent years in particular, Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation has worked with public and private partners to create the best possible framework conditions for the Sønderborg area. The starting point was the so-called Monitor Report of 2004. This report painted a bleak picture of the region’s future if Sønderborg's growth potential was not to be developed.
The report maps out a 35-year period with the aim of reversing the trend in Sønderborg. Already 17 years later, significant results have been achieved, thanks to the Foundation's support and a unique collaboration with the municipality, the region, the town, Sønderborg's business community and citizens. The results include improved infrastructure, a world-class research university and a brand-new district with a four-star hotel on Sønderborg's waterfront. Nordborg is home to the Universe Science Park, and, in a few years, it will also host the Nordborg Resort.
In addition, the ambitious ProjectZero has reduced total CO2 emissions by 51.7 percent since 2007, solely using energy-efficient solutions. The goal is to reach CO2 neutrality by 2029.
Another significant sign of the positive development is that Sønderborg will host the International Energy Agency's (IEA) global summit in 2022. Here, participants from all over the world will come to the area to be presented with energy-efficient and sustainable solutions. These will include solutions already implemented under ProjectZero. The following month, on July 3rd, the Tour de France will come to Sønderborg as part of the Grand Départ. This will be the first time that the race is held in Denmark.
