Text and photo: Nelly Sander, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

At NEG Micon, Per Fenger was responsible for lifting gear and transport solutions. The strategy was to handle part of the development internally and outsource the rest to external specialists. But when he went looking for those specialists, he quickly discovered that they almost didn't exist.

24 hours to make a life-changing decision

During his search, he met Jens Mortensen, an independent consultant. Both were engineers from Aalborg University, and they soon realised how well their skills complemented each other: Jens Mortensen excelled in calculations, while Fenger focused on design and practical solutions. The idea of starting a consulting engineering firm specialising in lifting and transport equipment began to take shape.

“Because if NEG Micon had that challenge, then Vestas and Bonus - later Siemens - probably had the same challenge. There simply wasn’t anyone who specialised in this field,” says Per Fenger, CEO of Liftra.

At the same time, he was offered an attractive new position at NEG Micon where his boss was well aware of the connection with Jens Mortensen:

“And when I didn’t immediately say yes, he realised we were about to start something together. So we were given 24 hours to decide whether we wanted to found Liftra, or whether I would take the new position,” he recalls.

Advisers in a cramped back room

The final decision was made around the dining table in Jens Mortensen’s living room. That was in November. On 15 January 2003, they officially founded the company and moved into a small backyard room in a building owned by Jens Mortensen’s father

Liftra began as a consulting engineering firm run by the two founders, and for the first few years the focus was entirely on solving specific tasks for clients. Growing into a large company was never part of the plan

“The dream has always been to develop great things that make a real difference. Becoming a big company was never the goal.” Per Fenger says

Nevertheless, Liftra has grown to more than 700 employees worldwide, working across production, installation, and service. The company also develops specialised equipment for wind turbines, including a crane that climbs the turbine tower and installs the entire turbine at heights of up to 250 metres. On top of that, the solution significantly reduces the need for transport. Where traditional cranes require 40–60 trucks, LIFTRA’s solution manages with around nine!

The secret is called Aalborg University 

If you ask Per Fenger about the secret behind Liftra's success, he does not hesitate to say Aalborg University. This is hardly the whole truth, but the company has a very close development collaboration with the university and about 98 percent of the engineers are graduates from AAU. 

Many start as students in their 9th and 10th semesters, get a desk and become part of everyday life.

"The way we work is very similar to group work at the university. We even use the same software programs, so the transition is easy," he says.