With the Danish Premier in Japan and Korea

In the spring of 2010, CEO Carsten Guldmann was part of a business delegation of 15 Danish CEOs and chairmen of the board who accompanied Danish Premier Lars Lykke Rasmussen on a week-long official visit to Japan and Korea.

- We have been present in Japan for several years through our business partner Abilities Care-net, while Korea was a whole new chapter for me, both personally and professionally. So that brought a different background and two very different perspectives to the trip, Carsten Guldmann explains after arriving back home.

Among other activities, the stays in Japan and Korea included a demonstration of robot technology from the Japanese healthcare sector, a tour of Nissan’s factories, a visit to the demilitarized zone, a ride on the KTX high speed train, and a visit to SNU, Korea’s leading bio-tech university. On the eve of departure, the delegation attended an official state dinner hosted by Korean President Lee-Myung-bak.

- It was a highly intensive week, with access to experiences and people who are otherwise off limits to a company such as ours, says Carsten Guldmann.

The visit to Japan strengthens Guldmann’s profile in a country where they have been part of the market since 1988.

- Our business partner had the opportunity to greet Lars Lykke Rasmussen, an event which was covered intensely by the Japanese media. It might seem indifferent from a European perspective, but in a Japanese context this may open a whole new range of company possibilities, Carsten Guldmann explains.

While Japan was well-known territory, the visit to Korea was a trip into uncharted waters. As part of the Danish Premier’s delegation, Guldmann made his entry in a procession amidst police barriers and flashing blue lights.

- Normally we enter a market from below, and it takes a long time to get established. But in Korea we now have a unique opportunity to penetrate the market from above, says Carsten Guldmann, who, within two weeks of arriving home, held a meeting with a representative of the Korean Ministry of Knowledge Economy with the purpose of identifying specific business opportunities in Korea.

- The trip has been a success. We will be entering the Korean market before long, and we have consolidated our position in Japan. At the same time, we have strengthened our network at a high level. And by experiencing so many different things over the course of these visits, this has given me a whole new impression of the two countries.