ULI Denmark Launched as 15th National Council in Europe

ULI Europe has officially launched ULI Denmark, its 15th national council. Jesper Bo Hansen, head of corporate finance at Catella, will be the chair, serving a two-year term on a voluntary basis, and will be joined by an executive committee of local industry leaders.

“ULI is a highly respected and truly unique network of international real estate professionals and is a key connector for those involved in the industry,” says Hansen, who has been involved in developing ULI’s activities in Denmark from inception.

“Building on the preparation work done over the past 12–18 months, which created a great momentum, I am very pleased that we now officially launch ULI in Denmark as a way to recognize the outstanding urban design and development practices in this country, as well as the business development opportunities ULI’s global network provides. Our executive committee will work hard to continue to deliver an active program of events and opportunities for real estate professionals, and we look forward to sharing industry best practice both across the region and globally.”

The launch of ULI Denmark is the next step in the evolution of the Institute’s activities in the country, led by a core group of members and highlighted by the 2019 ULI Europe Real Estate Forum, which took place in Copenhagen and attracted more than 200 global industry leaders and showcased the capital city’s innovative projects.

“Our pan-European event in Copenhagen in 2019 was the catalyst for establishing a presence in Denmark, where so much groundbreaking urban design and development best practices are being developed with the input of world-leading experts,” says Lisette van Doorn, ULI Europe chief executive officer. “Jesper Bo is highly regarded within the real estate industry and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience. He will be well supported by our ULI staff and membership as the Institute grows in Denmark.”

“With so many well-established Danish industry leaders, it’s an exciting time for ULI to officially launch ULI Denmark,” says ULI Europe chair Marnix Galle, who is also executive chairman at Belgian developer Immobel. “The national council will be a key part of the European network, and members will be able to tap into ULI’s broader network. We have seen that there are many passionate advocates of ULI in Denmark who are committed to advancing our mission of shaping the future shaping the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.”

“ULI is a high-caliber network of current and future industry executives,” says Rikke Lykke, European head of asset management, PATRIZIA. “It provides the opportunity to meet and network with like-minded people who all through a multidisciplinary approach to real estate aim to create and sustain thriving communities worldwide. Participating in events and webinars hosted by thought leaders sharing insights on trends, as well as the research provided by the Institute itself, is the core of ULI; the perquisite is the close interaction between the members themselves, both locally as well as internationally.”

“I am thrilled to learn that ULI is coming to Denmark,” says Kai-Uwe Bergmann, partner with BIG. “ULI has been an indispensable forum to meet my fellow real estate colleagues across many sectors, from policymakers, city planners, investors, to the entire design community. Not only is there a networking component, but more importantly, key research and global best practices are shared openly and without agendas so that the entire development ecosystem can learn from past and present efforts. Denmark has a lot to share and learn from the broader ULI community.”

“It’s great news that ULI has decided to launch in Denmark,” says Anne Skovbro, managing director of By & Havn. “This will help raise the bar in terms of how we create sustainable cities in Denmark and poses new abilities in how we can collaborate with experts and colleagues across Europe. Additionally, it will help us further qualify the ongoing broader, current debate around how we develop cities.”

For its first official event, ULI Denmark hosted a webinar for the launch of the joint ULI/PwC Emerging Trends in Real Estate^® Europe 2021 report. Speakers from both ULI and PwC presented the findings and related them to the Scandinavian region. For the first time, the report includes responses from real estate professionals in Denmark.

Hear more about world-class developments in Europe at the upcoming 2021 ULI Virtual Europe Conference.