DTU named the most innovative Nordic university

University applauded for its ability to churn out inventions and student startups

Sep 18, 2015

The Technical University of Denmark, commonly known as DTU, has been named among the most innovative universities in the world by the news agency Reuters.

DTU ranked number 43 in the world, seventh in Europe and first in the Nordics on the Reuters Top 100 World’s Most Innovative Universities list (here in English).

“We are extremely proud,” said DTU’s dean Anders Bjarklev. “DTU is not just the only Nordic university on the top 100 list, but it’s ranked a commendable seventh place in Europe and 43rd in the world. That tells us that the goal-orientated efforts we have had within innovation and entrepreneurship are working.”

“We are pleased to be on a list that focuses on innovation. At DTU we have a clear mission to become a world-class innovative university, and this ranking indicates we are on the right path.”

DTU set a record in 2014 with 51 new spin-out companies, including 21 student startups, and in 2013 the university established the DTU Skylab: a 1,500 sqm innovation workshop.

Inventions and startups
The Reuters ranking, which is published for the first time this year, looked at numerous indicators in compiling its ranking, including patent volume, patent success, global patents, patent citations, patent citation impact, percentage of patents cited, patent to article citation impact, industry article citation impact, percentage of industry collaborative articles and total web of science papers.

“Hans Christian Ørsted, a Danish physicist known as the father of electromagnetism, founded the university known as DTU in 1829,” Reuters wrote in its DTU description (here in English).

“DTU researchers registered 152 inventions in 2014, spun off 51 ventures, and collaborated with industry on 1,249 projects. One of those projects is a collaboration with the Danish company Dupont Lightstone and involves a method to embed optical fibres directly into concrete for robust, durable LED displays.”

It was a good week for DTU as it has continued its rise up the QS World University Rankings to number 112 in the world.

The top five most innovative universities in the world – Stanford University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, University of Washington and University of Michigan System – are all based in the United States.