The Danish environmental technology sector has been granted its own permanent development and demonstration program, MUDP (Miljøteknologisk Udviklings- og Demonstrationsprogram). It has been given up to 119 million kroner to work with in 2015 alone.
The MUDP has existed since 2008, but has up until now been financed year-to-year via the annual budget agreement – an insecure platform for applicants. But now the program will be formally established with its own board, much to the approval of the sector.
”With a program that exists more than a year at a time, you can make a strategy about how to support the technology development over a longer period of time,” Jørn Jespersen, the head of green tech advocacy organisation Dansk Miljøteknologi, told Ingeniøren newspaper.
”And it becomes possible for companies to form alliances and work together on strategic and exciting projects that were not attractive before because of the uncertainty that has existed.”
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On the rise
Jespersen said he expects a professional board will be able to provide a more clear business perspective to its prioritisation so that it more often targets environmental tech that can also generate green jobs and exports.
Green-tech development is on the rise and this year applicants sought five times as many funds as compared to 2010. Some 65 million kroner were handed out to 52 projects this year alone.
MUDP – which co-finances tech development within water, air, earth, resources and the circular economy – has supported 335 projects with a total of about 340 million kroner since it was established six years ago.