Aarhus City Council

City Council set to reject low-rent tech incubator on Tomsagervej on Wednesday

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On Wednesday 4 November 2026, Aarhus City Council will consider Radikale Venstre’s proposal for a nonprofit tech-startup incubator.

Erhverv og beskæftigelse
Økonomi og budget

Document date: 4. november 2026
Section: City council
Status: Beta
Source: Aarhus Municipality meeting documents — Aarhus City Council 4 November 2026 · item 7 (agenda + cover note + recommendation + proposal + signed transcript + committee statement + memo + appendices) ↗

Summary

On Wednesday 4 November 2026, Aarhus City Council will consider Radikale Venstre’s proposal for a nonprofit tech-startup incubator. The Mayor’s Department and Technical and Environmental recommend that the proposal be rejected, because the municipality cannot lawfully make premises available free of charge or at reduced rent — while the proposal’s perspectives are folded into the upcoming business strategy.

What it means for you

Early tech entrepreneurs will not get a municipal incubator with low or no rent in a vacant property. The need for new innovation environments should instead be clarified in the new business strategy, possibly in cooperation with actors such as The Kitchen, INCUBA, and Next Level Founder Hub.

Background

Radikale Venstre — Mahad Yussuf and Metin Lindved Aydin — propose a nonprofit incubator in a vacant municipal building. The aim is to close a gap between the study and idea phase at The Kitchen and more commercial environments such as INCUBA, with room for approx. 20–30 startups and a membership fee of approx. DKK 1,000 per month. (Appendix — Appendix 1: Decision proposal RV 20.05.2026)

The byråd (city council) referred the case to the Municipal Executive on 3 June 2026. The Municipal Executive recommended on 29 September that the city council endorse the recommendation of 21 September 2026; rådmand (alderman) Jesper Kjeldsen and rådmand Metin Lindved Aydin did not take part in that consideration. On 7 October the City Council referred the case to the Economics and Business Committee after a request to be heard. The committee unanimously endorsed the recommendation on 28 October in line with the Municipal Executive’s recommendation; Hüseyin Arac was unable to attend.

The administration assesses that free or reduced rent for tech startups would amount to individual support for businesses and is therefore problematic under the municipal powers rules and section 14(5) of the Business Promotion Act. The municipality may let temporarily vacant premises on market terms. Technical and Environmental point to Tomsagervej 27 in Åbyhøj as the only suitable municipal property. If the building is let, it must be to one primary tenant with the right to sublet, with maintenance and risk borne by the tenant — a model that, according to the recommendation, does not match the target group’s finances. (Appendix — Recommendation)

The premises at no. 27 have stood empty since the performance company HIMHERANDIT vacated on 1 February 2026. (Appendix — Memo MTM 07.10.2026)

Figures and facts

The proposed incubator is to house approx. 20–30 startups with a membership fee of approx. DKK 1,000/month. (Appendix — Appendix 1: Decision proposal RV 20.05.2026)
Tomsagervej 27 comprises 418 m² (241 m² ground floor and 177 m² basement); annual market rent is DKK 197,700 excluding utilities at DKK 600 per m² for the ground floor and DKK 300 per m² for the basement. (Appendix — Recommendation)
The tech sector accounted for approx. 14% of employment in Aarhus versus 9% nationally; in 2023, 84 new IT companies were established — the lowest level since 2010. (Appendix — Recommendation)
Each cohort of entrepreneurs traditionally contributes approx. 1,800–2,000 new jobs in Aarhus. (Appendix — Recommendation)
Next Level Founder Hub, aimed at companies on the path to first customers and investments, was launched in April 2026. (Appendix — Recommendation)
In 2025, rental income for Tomsagervej 25–27 was approx. DKK 1.15 million. (Appendix — Memo MTM 07.10.2026)

Who said what

In the city council debate on 3 June 2026, Metin Lindved Aydin (RV) argued for a flexible nonprofit community in a vacant municipal property, run by an association, to close the gap between The Kitchen and INCUBA. Mette Bjerre (SF) supported strengthening startups but called for documentation of the need and pointed among other things to Level 2 in Partnerhuset. Martin Christensen (V) called the proposal sympathetic but wanted need, economics, and overlap with existing environments examined. Sarah Jarsbo (EL) wanted broader dialogue with actors before the municipality establishes a new scheme. Peter Sporleder (KF) found that the proposal had the character of a budget proposal and supported the municipal executive’s review. (Appendix — City council debate 03.06.2026)

On 7 October 2026, Steffen Wich (S) thanked the proposers and for bringing the idea into the business strategy, while pointing to legal and economic limits on low rent. Metin Lindved Aydin (RV) stated that the party supports the recommendation because the perspectives are carried forward in the strategy work. (Appendix — City council debate 07.10.2026)

At the Economics and Business Committee meeting on 28 October, Christian Lambertsen, cofounder of ClearContract, was heard. The committee then unanimously endorsed the recommendation. (Appendix — Committee statement)

What happens next

On Wednesday 4 November 2026, the City Council is to decide on the recommendation: that the decision proposal be rejected, and that the proposal’s perspectives be included in work on the new business strategy with a view to clarifying need and the possibility of new innovation environments.

Sources

Other appendices

Transcript

Transcript of the council debate with speakers named, from the official signed record.

Open in Transcripts →