Partnerships
We engage actively in our partnerships and collaborations, and we value them highly. We understand that strong partnerships and close collaboration between municipality, citizens, businesses, educational institutions and social organizations are necessary if we are to achieve the City of Aarhus’ goals for the city.
Through strategic collaboration and active participation, businesses and organizations gain access to new knowledge, new partners and other benefits that can strengthen their innovation, sales and exports.
Read more about a number of our partnerships below.
International Relations
Highlighting Aarhus' commitment to global exchange, knowledge sharing, and sustainable solutions through international collaboration and partnerships.
Strategic sector cooperation
Through the strategic sector cooperation, Aarhus promotes local, sustainable growth and development in other parts of the world, while simultaneously benefiting Danish businesses – through promotion of Danish sustainable solutions and green technologies.
Sister cities
Since 1946, the City of Aarhus has had several sister cities, and over the years this has developed into distinct sister city partnerships with: Bergen, Gothenburg, Turku, Kujalleq, Rostock, Harbin and Lviv.
CDEU - Central Denmark EU Office
The Central Denmark EU Office strives to ensure that the Central Denmark Region, along with its 19 municipalities, Aarhus University, and VIA University College, actively participate in the European Union (EU) to leverage the many opportunities offered by EU cooperation.
EU-mission Climate-neutral and smart cities
The EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities aims to accelerate the green and digital transformation of European cities to achieve the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. The mission seeks to involve local authorities, citizens, businesses, investors, and national authorities to deliver 100 climate-neutral and smart cities by 2030, while also encouraging innovation and experimentation to help other European cities follow suit by 2050.
Nordic Smart City Network
Nordic Smart City Network is a collaboration of 20 Nordic cities from 5 countries, focused on exploring livable and sustainable cities. The network enables cities to share experiences and solutions, and provides innovative solution providers with a wider market. The focus is on open data and citizen engagement.
Living-in.EU
Livin-in.EU is aiming to build a better future for 300 million Europeans through the 'European Way' of digital transformation. With a focus on smart solutions for urban mobility, energy efficiency, sustainable housing, digital public services, and civic-led governance, the 'European Way' aims to implement an inclusive digital Europe that brings economic and social benefits to all local communities.
Intelligent Cities Challenge
The Intelligent Cities Challenge, or ICC, is a European Commission initiative, that unites 136 cities to drive intelligent, sustainable, and socially responsible growth through advanced tech. Building on the success of the Digital Cities Challenge, the 2.5-year program aims to enhance cities' digital transformation and drive economic recovery post-pandemic by creating new business opportunities.
Eurocities
Eurocities is a collaboration of over 200 cities from 38 countries, representing a combined population of 130 million people. The organization works towards enhancing quality of life through projects focused on mobility, environmental transition, social inclusiveness, and digital innovation. Eurocities also supports local governments in a multi-level governance framework.
Rainbow Cities Network
The Rainbow Cities Network is a network of cities, including Aarhus, committed to promoting and advocating for the rights and inclusion of LGBTI citizens. The network seeks to raise awareness and drive change in areas such as equality, non-discrimination, and respect for diversity, through collaboration and exchange of best practices among its members.
Strong Cities Network
The Strong Cities Network (SCN) was founded in 2015 at the UN General Assembly as a city-led initiative to address hate, extremism, and polarization.
The Spring
The Spring is a unique innovation district for water technology and is a part of Water Valley Denmark