A new residential college has just seen the light of day in the town of Rødbyhavn—it will serve as a knowledge and learning centre for sustainable construction. The centre was officially inaugurated earlier today by Simon Kollerup, Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs.
The knowledge and learning centre will act as a teaching site and hub for students and researchers from institutions including DTU, as well as individuals from businesses involved in the Fehmarn Belt fixed link project. In the long term, this will help to make Denmark a world leader in the development of sustainable construction and other green solutions that help to reduce CO2 emissions from construction. The initiative is a good fit with DTU’s strategy which sets out an ambition to have a presence throughout Denmark.
“At DTU, we believe there is real strength to be derived from connecting teaching and research with experience and knowledge from ‘real life’ projects,” says DTU President Anders Bjarklev.
“This residential college in Rødby will provide students and researchers from across DTU with a unique opportunity to acquire new knowledge and develop new solutions in close collaboration with business. We look forward to developing new, stronger, and greener construction methods in partnership with these businesses. We intend to apply these not only in major infrastructure projects, but also across the construction industry—creating great benefits for society.”
The world’s longest immersed tunnel
During its first phase, the knowledge and learning centre will be based in temporary quarters in Rødbyhavn adjacent to the tunnel element factory and other construction activities related to the Fehrman Belt fixed link. This will afford the opportunity to observe construction of the 18 km tunnel connection between Denmark and Germany. This endeavour is not only Denmark’s biggest infrastructure project ever, but will be the world’s longest immersed tunnel upon completion.
This September, DTU will send its first group of students to Rødby where they will get to learn more about the use of drones on construction sites. Later this autumn, DTU PhD students will arrive at the centre, joined by colleagues from Roskilde University and the Zealand – Academy of Technologies and Business.
More residential colleges
The local residential college associated with the Fehrman Belt fixed link project is just one of several that DTU is in the process of establishing together with municipalities, businesses, and other universities across Denmark.
At present, DTU is also working to open residential colleges in the towns of Skive and Kalundborg, as well as on the island of Bornholm. These facilities make it possible to bring together students and researchers on unique projects, such as the creation of an energy island on Bornholm, the world’s first full-scale Power-to-X plant in Skive, and the world’s biggest biotech site in Kalundborg.
