Business News in Brief: Helsingør’s popular aquarium may be forced to close

In other news, Matas concern appoints new CEO, workers are laid off in Aalborg and Novo issues concerns about US profits in 2018

Despite increasing numbers of visitors, Øresundsakvariet north of Helsingør is facing an uncertain future.

In 2016, the salt water aquarium registered losses of 1.6 million kroner, and this year the amount has risen to 2.2 million. Losses are expected to rise to 4.1 million kroner by 2019, Helsingør Dagblad reports.

The aquarium is owned by Copenhagen University and there are fears that they will close the facility.

“The main tasks of a university are research and education, not running an aquarium. Ørsundsakvariet is on a slippery slope and we’re always on the brink of going under,” explained Jens Peder Jeppesen, the leader of the facility.


Health and beauty goods chain looks for new directions
The board of directors of health and beauty goods chain Matas have decided to replace Terje List as CEO after 17 years at the helm. “The time is ripe to look at the chain with fresh eyes and see how the company should be taken to the next level,” said the chairman of the board, Lars Vinge Frederiksen, in a press release. Ex-Coop boss Gregers Wedell-Wedellsborg has been chosen to replace List. Since the company went public in 2013, the share price has fallen by 16 percent. Accounts made public last Tuesday show that the chain declared a turnover of 820 million kroner compared to 848 million in the first quarter of last year.

Siemens sacks workers in Aalborg
In the wake of disappointing figures for April, May and June and a falling orderbook, wind turbine firm Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy is laying off 600 workers on September 30, DR Nyheder reports. Another 130 will be moved around internally within the Aalborg factory that makes turbine blades. Siemens is the second-largest turbine producer after Vestas, with 13.2 percent of the global market in 2016. Vestas sits on 15.8 percent of the market.

Lower insulin prices for Novo on the US market next year
Novo Nordisk has warned it expects to be getting less for its products in the US in 2018 due to increased competition and pressure from American purchasing associations. “Depending on the final outcome of these negotiations, the average price after discounts will be lower than in 2017, primarily driven by the basic insulin segment,” stated a press release. It does at least appear that the company’s products will still be stocked by the same American purchasing associations as this year. Accounts released for the first half year showed a net increase in Novo’s profits of 4 percent to 20.1 billion kroner, while sales also rose by 4 percent.