COWI

As our Group CFO Natalie Shaverdian Riise-Knudsen shares below, there are many things to be excited about: 2024 looks to become a good year for COWI. Get all the details here 👇

"The best thing about riding a motorcycle is that it is a paradox of experiencing freedom and control at the same time. When I am on the saddle, a sense of total freedom is fueled into my veins and simultaneously I must be in total control of the machine and myself. When I am riding to a distant destination across the country, it’s a great comfort to be connected to a larger network of likeminded people who are as excited for a ride as you are. I keep adding new riders to the existing forums to make it easier for them to enjoy motorcycling to the fullest. I help others in planning and preparing for longer rides and share the lessons I have learnt through my journeys. Having toured for long and far to visit most of the northern, central and western part of India on my motorcycle I have been extremely fortunate to witness India’s rich culture and diversity as well as natural landscapes ranging from snowcapped mountains to hot deserts and pristine beaches. Visiting places I have not yet been to and meeting people I have not yet met remains a top personal agenda for me. I strongly believe that the incredible work-life balance provided by COWI enables me to embark on these adventures while maintaining my dedication to my professional responsibilities." Anuj Sharma, Process and Quality Consultant 

Today, our EVP Birgit Farstad Larsen had the great pleasure of taking part in a panel debate with Giles Dickson and Steinar Roland about the future need for capacity and competence in the renewables sector at STIFTELSEN OFFSHORE NORTHERN SEAS. 🔊 These were her main talking points;   🔑 We, the consulting engineering industry, can contribute to ensure the right and adequate mix of competencies in the early phases of major projects. This means that we can provide a multidimensional mix of competencies on projects. 🔧 When it comes to ensuring sufficient capacity and recruitment, we believe we have to look beyond our immediate needs today, and maintain a broad, long-term perspective in order to make sure we have the right competencies for the future. 👨🎓 We need to educate more people that can contribute to the green transition. These candidates must be able to use their skills to the full, and  be given challenges and great settings for further developing their skills. 🌏 Technical innovation is at the heart of ensuring the right capacity and competencies. 🌟 We must also make sure to transfer all the competencies within traditional industries to future-oriented industries The sum of all this will ensure the long-term availability of essential competencies and allow us to continuously scale our future efforts within the green industry.  - Many thanks to ONS for the opportunity to share about a topic that I and COWI are passionate about! 👏 Also, thank you, Anne-Lene Festervoll for great moderations!

After decades under the ground, the creek Hovinbekken in Oslo is seeing the light of day again. One of the places is in the enchanting Klosterenga Park 🌳 The new park in the eastern part of Oslo opened last summer after Oslo Municipality’s wish of creating a space where water and art meet in an urban development project. The creek, running from the north to the south of Oslo, had been running in pipes since the 1920’s but has gradually been brought back to the surface and now also in Klosterenga park, where it plays a central role to accommodate the climate changes including heavy rain and drought. Running through the park, the water has become an essential part of the surrounding art 🌊 Klosterenga is one of the largest art- and culture parks in Oslo thanks to the many sculptures made by sculpturer Bård Breivik who initiated the art project back in the 90’s. After his passing in 2016, sculpturer Kristian Blystad and architect Jørn Skaare continued to develop the art which is centred around the creek.   COWI has been the water and geotechnical engineer on the project working together with the partners Oslo kommune, Vann- og avløpsetaten (Oslovann), Bymiljøetaten, Kulturetaten, Bydel Gamle Oslo, Dronninga landskap AS, Haugen/Zohar Architekter, Landskap+, Structor Tekniske Systemer AS, Dipl.-Ing. Florian Kosche AS, ZENISK and Holo & Holo Landskapsarkitekter to make the recreational park come to life. Photos: Dronninga landskap AS.

What does the future of tunnels look like, and will they still form a major part of the world’s infrastructure?🚇🤔 To answer this question, we need to look at past tunnel structures and the role they have played in meeting infrastructure needs. Essentially, societies should always invest in infrastructure for the common good – to support the economy in the region and protect social groups, the environment, and the climate. So, why not choose a tunnel? Market Director for Tunnels & Infrastructure, Tommy Olsen, explains: “While a bridge could many times serve the same purpose as a tunnel, tunnels are often selected for the long-term benefits of freeing up space at the surface. Future tunnels will no doubt evolve alongside the use of new technologies, and they need to be constructed to provide the maximum benefit to society with limited impact on the environment.” Click below, and take a further deep dive into tunnels 👇 https://lnkd.in/e6wnz-KN

Could your heat and electricity be generated from within the Earth in the future? With all the talk about wind and solar as renewable energy sources, we should just as often consider the possibilities from what’s going on underneath us: geothermal energy ♨ The opportunities as an energy source are remarkable: it has the potential to meet 3-5% of the global demand by 2050 and possibly 10% by 2100. Meet Kristín Steinunnardóttir, one of our experts in the field and mechanical engineer and project manager, who talks about this fascinating energy source. Read more about geothermal energy and how Iceland is utilising the energy source: https://lnkd.in/dXms_nvw

Jump on the metro and go anywhere in the universe 🚀 We’ve reached the end of the line in our summer series about the new metro stations on The Copenhagen Metro and Greater Copenhagen Light Rail. And the end of the line for M4 is København Syd in a former industrial area in the district of Valby. The station is situated at a junction point where you meet S-train lines and regional trains. This is where you jump on the metro if you come to Copenhagen from the south, west or east. From the big, open forecourt you move into the station and down into an almost magical blue room. On a deep blue background that covers all the walls, the artist Henrik Plenge Jakobsen has created the artwork "Stella Novis". Stella Novis is a gigantic so-called geocentric astronomical clock that shows the position of the planets in the sky as they stand above this exact location, København Syd station, at any time. From this station you can jump on the train and go anywhere in the world. And in the future perhaps anywhere in the universe? This brings us to the end of the newest addition to the Copenhagen Metro. The total metro network now consists of 44 stations and 43 kilometres of tracks. You can read more about it here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dzaPkD6X Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj for Arkitema. 

When beauty and safety go hand-in-hand 🤝 In late 2020, Hams Way Footbridge opened in Worcester in the West Midlands, England. The bridge replaced a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing on one of the busiest roads in the city. Open to both pedestrians and cyclists, the bridge forms part of the National Cycle Network and improves safety by separating non-motorised users from the busy traffic. The ‘floating’ aesthetic of the bridge consists of an unbraced bowstring truss with a main span of 42 meters. The 6m tall trusses lean inwards giving the bridge a sleek look whether crossing the bridge or viewing from below. Long approach ramps span across the floodplain of the nearby River Teme meaning that the route is usable even during the floods which occur regularly in the area. The bridge became an exemplar of lean design, achieving an A-rating on the SCORBS (Structural Carbon Rating Scheme for Bridges) embodied carbon rating scale. The impressive bridge won two major honours in 2021: top prize in the Structural Steel Design Awards, and joint winner of the Bridges Awards “design award for projects below £5 million”. It also featured on the front cover of the prestigious Structural Engineer magazine in June 2021. COWI was the structural engineer on the project, working with Moxon Architects Ltd. to design the bridge for Alun Griffiths (Contractors) Ltd on behalf of the client, Worcestershire County Council. The bridge was part of a highly successful major scheme to dual Worcester’s Southern Link Road which has made significant improvements to journey times and journey time reliability for motorists as well as improving walking and cycling infrastructure. Don’t worry if you’re not stopping by Worcester any time soon, you can still check out the beautiful photos of the bridge here 👇 📸 Simon Kennedy/John Rees

Hot stuff and cool things that help reduce carbon emissions 🔥 ❄ Large buildings have always had a big need for heating and cooling. Historically we have relied on fossil fuels for heating, and used synthetic refrigerants in heat pumps and cooling systems. All of that is changing as we become more aware of and better at utilising alternative and more sustainable thermal energy sources. In Norway, home country of Gro Harlem Brundtland who gave name to the 1987 UN report that introduced the term sustainable energy, the goal is to reduce carbon emissions by 90-95% compared to 1990 and become a low-emission society by 2050. To get there the Norwegian government has high demands for the requirements for new hospitals and other governmental buildings. The new 60,000 m² emergency hospital located in Hjelset, Norway, between Molde and Kristiansund, serves as a prime example of how the future of heating and cooling in large buildings look. Read about all the hot stuff and cool things via this link 👇 https://lnkd.in/dcuCreBh

Metro must see: The underground mural 🎨 For some the holiday is coming to an end, others still have some weeks left. If you are in Copenhagen and need inspiration for a daytrip, this is what you’ve been waiting for. While most of the new stations on the new M4 line of The Copenhagen Metro and Greater Copenhagen Light Rail are in areas that have been developed over the last 10-15 years or are still under development, Mozarts Plads station is located in the middle of an old, well-established residential area. In fact, on the site of the old tram. It is an area full of working-class history and reminiscences of the industrial city Copenhagen once was. Inside the station the local artist christian schmidt-rasmussen has created a giant mural called “Out of childhood”. The mural covers all the walls and is a celebration of the area’s distinctive character. Christian Schmidt-Rasmussen grew up in the neighbourhood and his work is a free flow of animals, humans, shapes and forms in different colours on a beautiful deep blue background. The artwork is full of details and small open-ended stories and can be enjoyed when you wait for the metro on the platform, when you go up and down the escalators or when you pass by in the corridor to one of the two stairs leading to the station. If you only have time to visit one station, make it Mozarts Plads. Next week we’ll reach København Syd, the final stop on M4. In the meantime, you can read more about the Copenhagen Metro here 👇 https://lnkd.in/dzaPkD6X Photo: Rasmus Hjortshøj for Arkitema.