As part of its forthcoming growth plan, the government is prepared to give three billion kroner to the national research foundation, Danmarks Grundforskningsfond (DG), to ensure that Danish research can compete internationally.
The prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, and the economic affairs and interior minister, Margrethe Vestager, said during their tour of Denmark’s Technical University (DTU) that research is critical to generating good and productive jobs in Denmark.
“Research is a central element of the growth plan,” Vestager said at a press conference.
“Danmarks Grundforskningsfond has accomplished things on a par with Stanford and MIT and it has garnered excellent reviews. That’s why we are setting aside money so we can continue creating these kinds of results over the next ten years.”
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A pillar of research
The three billion kroner will be invested into DG over a number of years so that the foundation can continue establishing centres of excellence through 2026. Centres of excellence consist of one or several research groups that work together to solve complex research dilemmas.
“The exciting thing is that companies can also use these labs, so if they have something that needs researching, then they can use the facilities,” Thorning-Schmidt added. “That way, companies get to work with large learning centres, and that’s how we create something new.”
As of now, DG has financed the establishment of 88 centres of excellence, 43 of which are currently active. DG was established in 1991 and has since supported Danish research with six billion kroner.
