During his one-day visit in Copenhagen, the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science stopped by DTU, where he was given an insight into how universities can help to solve major societal challenges and stimulate entrepreneurship in Europe.
The scene was set for an eventful visit, as the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Carlos Moedas, stopped by DTU on Thursday, 30 June.
At DTU Mechanical Engineering, Head of Department Hans Nørgaard Hansen showed the commissioner how digitisation can change production methods and systems. In addition, Carlos Moedas visited DTU Electrical Engineering to hear about PowerLabDK which develops and tests tomorrow’s energy technologies. Finally he participated in a round-table discussion with representatives of, among others, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, PensionDanmark, the Danish National Research Foundation, and Villum Fonden to talk about the Danish research grant system.
Universities can be entrepreneurial
The visit was an initiative of the EU and completed a day on which the Commissioner also participated in a conference organized by the Carlsberg Foundation and had lunch with the Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Ulla Tørnæs.
“With this visit, we would like to show that universities can be entrepreneurial and innovative and help solve some of the major challenges facing society in collaboration with the public and the private sector,” says DTU’s Executive Vice President, Provost Henrik Wegener. He is also chairman of the European Commission’s High Level Group (SAM) which gives the Commission independent scientific advice.
Increasing interest in 3D printing and digital production
According to Head of Department Hans Nørgaard Hansen, the digital development is high on the agenda in the EU and Horizon—EU’s research and innovation programme. Here we are witnessing, among other things, an increasing interest in 3D printing in the production sector, and digital models of processes are coupled with sensor data to optimize quality assurance and production systems.
DTU plays an important role in production research through the Danish MADE initiative (Manufacturing Academy of Denmark). Here, DTU is collaborating with four other universities, three GTS institutes, and up to 100 Danish manufacturing companies on ensuring production in Denmark in the long term.
Integrated energy systems
According to Professor Jacob Østergaard, who heads PowerLabDK at DTU, the development of the European Energy Union is high on the European agenda:
“The realisation of the Energy Union requires more integrated and coordinated energy systems—both when it comes to the physical electricity connections between the countries, and when it comes to energy markets. In these areas, there is a need for new technologies and solutions.”
“At DTU, we’re developing many of these solutions—together with European partners—based on our positions of strength within effective integration of renewable energy in the energy system. The newly opened PowerLabDK facilities give us an ideal opportunity to develop such solutions to the future European energy system.”