Businesses join crisis response as preparedness boosts branding

Businesses across Denmark are increasingly joining Virksomhedsberedskabet, an association that aims to help the public during crises such as power cuts and floods, DR reports. Membership has more than tripled since December last year, rising from 63 companies to 223.

Rasmus Dahlberg, a lecturer in societal preparedness at Roskilde University, said crisis readiness had become “good branding” as the subject is discussed frequently in politics and the media. Companies can reassure customers that they can be relied on during a crisis, he said.

Dahlberg said businesses were essential because they have equipment and resources that public authorities need. He called it a “utopia” to think the authorities could manage a major crisis alone, given their dependence on citizens, civil society groups and the private sector.

Charlotte Wetche, director of defence and resilience at Netcompany and a board member of Virksomhedsberedskabet, agreed that authorities could not be expected to handle everything. The association can assist in crises ranging from hybrid attacks to floods and pandemics, she said.

Companies could provide resources they already have, such as buses and accommodation, or adapt production to make items such as hand sanitiser and face masks, as some did during the Covid-19 pandemic. Dahlberg described the pandemic as a dress rehearsal for a prolonged crisis and said businesses would play a major role in future crisis management.

However, he said Denmark still needed clearer legal rules and binding agreements. These should cover how municipalities can require private suppliers to deliver during a crisis, as well as what equipment, such as emergency generators, must be available.

Dahlberg warned that several municipalities could need the same limited resources at once, making it necessary to decide who gets priority. He said preparedness and security of supply should be considered in public procurement alongside price and quality.