iii Perspectives Perspectives on Business and Economics is the journal of the Martindale Student Associates Honors Program founded and run by the Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise at Lehigh University. Each year, a faculty panel selects 12 of Lehigh’s finest undergraduate students to become Martindale Student Associates. Each student undertakes research focusing on an aspect of the economy and business environment of a foreign nation or state and prepares articles for publication. The country or state of focus changes each year. Denmark is taking the lead in green, sustainable living with an effort to stem the tide on climate change. In March, the Martindale Denmark cohort visited Invest in Denmark at the Consulate General of Denmark in New York and the NYC-based Danish Cleantech Hub, a public-private partnership founded by State of Green and the Confederation of Danish Industry. During the cohort’s 12-day trip to Denmark in August, they observed green technology in all aspects of life in Denmark: transportation, urban planning, agriculture, energy, architecture, and culture. Denmark even has waste-to-energy plants that burn so clean they house recreational facilities; for instance, the CopenHill plant includes a ski slope and climbing wall. And, the canals are clean enough swim in (and the students did!). Other discussions during the program of seminars and field tours with academic and industry leaders included Danish history and its relationship to global business; international partnerships; Greenland; the legal and penal system; the central bank’s role in the Danish economy; immigration; logistics; the circular economy; business structure and family foundations; labor unions and employer perspectives; youth and alcohol issues; health care; entrepreneurship and manufacturing; block chain technology; women in business; the education system; current Danish politics; tourism; and trade. The cohort continued their investigations during a visit to Washington, D.C., in October. Students met with Thomas Viskum Lytken Larsen, arctic advisor in the Foreign, Policy and Security Department of Foreign, Security & Development Policy of the Embassy of Denmark, and journalist Steffen Kretz, Danish Broadcasting Corp., to discuss the differences between the media in the US and Denmark. This journal is the culmination of the students’ 16 months of research and hard work. Special Thanks The Martindale Center acknowledges the critical role played by alumni, parents, friends, and the many experts in Denmark who gave generously of their time and expertise as advisors and speakers to help make the 2022–2023 program and Volume 41 of this journal a success. Developing a curriculum and itinerary for a country program starts with indepth conversations about the culture, current topics, and potential site visits and activities within the country. The following individuals generously offered their time to speak with the group and assisted with Danish connections: Jens Birk, North America and senior investment manager of Invest in Denmark, Consulate General of Denmark in New York; Anne-Mette Halvorson, director of career and professional development, graduate programs, Lehigh University College of Business; Steffen Hovard, CEO, NeuSpera Medical; Therese Lanfranco Hovard, community leader; Timothy White '06, chief digital and technology officer, GSK; Christian Lyhne Ibsen, associate professor, University of Copenhagen; Lehigh University Global Village alumni Morten Koefoed '09, Lasse Kreiner-Scheffmann '10, and Christopher Fabritius '05; Sidsel Høyer Knudsen, Pennsylvania School for Global Entrepreneurship '09, Lehigh University; and Julia Canepa Alhadeff Knobel '13, project manager, Novo Nordisk. Special appreciation to project manager, Michael Kristensen, Samsø Energy Academy, for arranging a daylong visit on Samsø island. In 2021, Samsø received the UN Global Climate Action Award for its community achievements of reaching 100% net annual balance of renewable energy and its work in climate leadership. Appreciation to CEO Søren Hermansen, Samsø Energy Academy, for the fascinating talk and tour of the island and its energy resources. We would be remiss to not mention a session at the famous Niels Bohr Institute that invoked awe among our students and faculty. Our group sat in the exact room that “the foundation of atomic physics and modern physics was created…inspired by Niels Bohr in the 1920s and 30s.” Sincere thanks to Kim Splittorff, associate professor of physics, Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, for arranging our visit and speaking to us. We also appreciate Maria Lancia '21 and Abbhi Sekar '21 of the Argentina cohort for joining us on this trip. Because the Argentina cohort missed the opportunity for international field immersion during their 2020–2021 program due to the pandemic, Martindale has opened the trips to two Argentina alumni per year. Maria and Abbhi were fantastic additions to the trip and cohort!
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