More than 150 key decision-makers, corporate managers and representatives from both Danish and international research communities were present on Friday, 7 February, when Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, officially opened a new climate innovation centre at DTU.
Interest was high among enterprises, authorities and the research environment when the new climate innovation centre at DTU opened its doors for the first time on Friday, 7 February. The official opening ceremony was attended by more that 150 invited guests, including decision-makers, corporate managers, researchers and KIC stakeholders from France, Germany, Hungary, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK, who were all keen to discuss the need and necessity for new climate solutions—as well as the associated challenges.
The new centre will be working with innovation, education and entrepreneurship as a part of what is known as the Climate KIC (Knowledge and Innovation Community).
Climate-KIC is one of three initiatives that have been launched to date under the auspices of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) to find solutions to major societal challenges. The first of its kind in Denmark, the new KIC centre is expected to help reinforce Danish and Nordic development in the field of climate innovation—and to generate jobs and growth.
DTU won the student competition
Prominent guests at the opening ceremony included Connie Hedegaard, EU Commissioner for Climate Action, and Tor Nørretranders, the author and climate debater, who chaired a panel discussion involving representatives from VELUX, AB Volvo, ROCKWOOL International A/S and the University of Technology, Darmstadt.
A special event on the day was a competition in which students competed to find the best mobility system for the citizens of Copenhagen in 2025. With its ‘Go Green Go’ suggestion—an app designed to encourage more people to ride their bikes and leave their cars at home—DTU took first prize ahead of teams from the University of Copenhagen and the University of Technology in Sweden. The day concluded with a reception where there were plenty of opportunities for networking.
“The climate challenge is a necessity that we are obliged to address. At the opening ceremony, we heard that there companies, society, the knowledge system and the universities are more than willing to work together to come up with solutions. This KIC platform is designed to boost opportunities to develop partnerships and to promote new products and processes. We can term the centre a success once we manage to develop useful climate innovations which become good business models that make a real difference to both the climate and society in general,” says Henrik Wegener, Provost at DTU.