Over the past ten years, KANDA has been involved in integrating virtual reality (VR) into various classrooms. Today, the company offers a VR-platform that transforms education spaces into a digital learning universe for employees who need certification in complex production industries.

Especially the growing renewable energy industry has paid attention to KANDA’s solution and many companies have already implemented KANDA's VR platforms. It is estimated that by 2030, the renewable energy industry will have to employ more than 26 million people worldwide to meet the global demand. To achieve that, there needs to be an increase in the number of individuals certified to handle the installation and repair of wind turbines, among other things.

The US wind industry has seen rapid development in recent years. To achieve a carbon-neutral energy sector by 2035, the Biden-Harris administration aims to implement 30 GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. Moreover, since President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) into law, investments in the offshore wind industry in the US have increased by 7.7 billion USD, and the number of companies working to support this supply chain has increased by 54%. That means that the demand for workforce and certification of employees is growing significantly, creating new market opportunities for KANDA. Last year, the company established itself in the US with support from the Trade Council.

Entering the American market

According to Kristian Too Andersen, CEO of KANDA, entering new markets can be challenging. Therefore, KANDA sought out wind energy advisors from the Trade Council to gain insights into their experiences and get their support in establishing connections with potential partners:

"We have had good experiences with the Trade Council, which we have also used to enter markets like Singapore, Thailand, and Japan. The knowledge and local network they have helped us establish ourselves faster than expected in the US," says Kristian Too Andersen.

With the help of the Trade Council's energy team in North America, KANDA has gained a solid foothold in the American market, especially in wind energy. This has resulted in new partners who can contribute to a permanent presence in the US for the Danish company.

One of KANDA's new American partners is US-Offshore. According to their CEO, Monica St Claire, KANDA's VR technology has great potential to support the rapid development of the American wind industry.

It has only been six months since KANDA entered the North American market with help from the Trade Council. Since then, KANDA has delivered its platform to several major companies in the US's wind industry.

So far, the company has been focusing on Texas and New York, but now, the plan is to expand into other states in the Midwest and explore the opportunities there.

According to Tobias Rossel, Team Lead for the Wind Energy Advisory at the Trade Council, there is significant potential to implement Danish solutions in the American wind industry:

"Within onshore wind, American wind developers are expected to install 8.4GW of wind energy in the US this year. This figure will likely continue to rise annually and reach 20GW by 2030. With Denmark as a leading country in the global wind industry, we are currently experiencing a significant increase of interest in Danish solutions and expertise from our American partners."

The Trade Council's energy team in North America works daily to create export opportunities for Danish companies in the North American market. Last year, the energy team formed the Onshore Wind Platform for Danish companies already established in Canada and the US. Today, the platform consists of over 15 companies that receive support through knowledge sharing and advice from the Trade Council for market strategies and new partnership opportunities in the North American onshore wind industry.