NEWS: Rolling up our sleeves for the circular industry transition

On 8 October 2026, Aabenraa Municipality hosts CIRCULAR 2035 at the historic Folkehjem venue. This high-level conference convenes 200 senior decision-makers to blueprint the next stage of the Danish-German green industry transition. Moving beyond conventional emissions discussions, the working forum unites industry pioneers, regulators, and financiers to stress-test real-world solutions - from hydrogen scaling and the derived circular economy to critical grid infrastructure - translating ambitious strategy into immediate, actionable commitments

The answer is currently taking shape on the Danish-German border. On 8 October 2026, Aabenraa Municipality will host CIRCULAR 2035, a high-level conference rooted in a powerful proposition: that green energy deployment, if well designed, revives rural economies and builds infrastructure for long-term societal resilience. The gathering takes place at Folkehjem, Aabenraa's historic venue, providing a grounded backdrop for what is deliberately not a traditional industry showcase.

At the inagurative conference, 200 senior decision-makers will roll up their sleeves in action-oriented forum to discuss candidly the feasible paths to scaling. Aabenraa Municipality is not merely exploring these opportunities; it is actively building a green, sector-coupled and circular industry hub. From the world's largest Power-to-X (PtX) plant already operational at Kassø, to the emerging Danish-German hydrogen economy, this forum tracks the arc of the build from vision and strategy, through infrastructure, to the derived industries that close the circle.

But how does wastewater actually become technical water for PtX and data centres? And how can pyrolysis turn sludge into biochar?

To tackle these realities, the rigorous programme, moderated by former news anchor Nynne Bjerre Christensen, begins with welcome addresses from the host's Mayor, Jan Riber Jakobsen, and Hanne Klintøe, Head of PtX Development. The agenda immediately moves to the hard questions of demand and transition mechanisms. Rikke Beckmann Danielsen of Deloitte will present the first findings from a €1.6m EIB-funded project mapping the South Denmark-Schleswig-Holstein hydrogen ecosystem.Crucially, the conference highlights the opportunity that most energy events miss: the derived economy. Panellists will explore how surplus heat, CO2, and oxygen can serve as invaluable feedstocks for greenhouses, food producers, and bio-based materials.

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Are we fully capitalising on these circular value chains, or are we letting vital resources literally evaporate?

The discussions will also confront the grid infrastructure required for scale and energy security, examining transformer stations, grid super-highways, microgrids, and the governance gap no single actor will fund. This critical dialogue features an array of industry leaders actively regulating, funding, and building the transition:

> Knud-Erik Andersen, CEO and Co-Founder of European Energy, the developer behind 
the Kassø e-methanol facility.

> Hege Økland, Managing Director of Hy2gen Nordic and CEO of Iverson eFuels, shaping 
the closing action panel.

> Joschka Knuth, State Secretary for Energy Transition & Climate for Land Schleswig-
Holstein.

> Kim Willerslev Jakobsen, CEO of System Responsibility, Energinet.

> Rikke Beckmann Danielsen, Partner and Global Financial Advisory Leader at Deloitte, presenting findings from the €1.6m EIB-funded project mapping the regional hydrogen ecosystem.

Ultimately, CIRCULAR 2035 is designed to translate the day's findings into commitments and clear asks. The closing panel is not a passive summary, but an action session focused on defining exactly what must happen in the next twelve months and assigning clear responsibility.

The blueprint is drawn. The only question remaining is, who does what next?