Research paper by Christina D. Tvarnø and Sandie Nøhr Nielsen were presented at conference

Presentation of the paper: Taking Stock of 20 Years of Public-Private Partnerships and Infrastructure Governance in Denmark: Regulation, Policy and Practice.

The presentation contained the following: The contract for the first public-private partnership (PPP) in Denmark in infrastructure was signed in 2004 while the project in the transport sector of the Great Belt Bridge that was organized using a state guarantee model (SGM) opened in 1998. Denmark has not pursued a policy for PPPs with great vigor compared to other OECD countries.

The paper takes its conceptual point of departure in the concept of infrastructure governance and examines the specific models of PPPs and the state-owned enterprise/state guarantee model. The paper blends legal analysis with policy analysis and organizational analysis. The key research questions are: What has been the Danish government's approach to PPPs and infrastructure governance? Why and how have the particular regulations, policies and organizational practices been implemented?

The paper examines three areas: 

1. Regulartions

2. Policies

3. Organizational practices

Moreover, the paper asserts that Denmark appears to follow an uneven course towards "getting infrastructure right" and that this uncertainty have real consequences for citizens and decision-makers in public as well as private organizations. The paper ends by emphasizing the need for a clearer regulatory and policy-framework that sets the direction for the organizational practices.