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Read about how strategic research has resulted in printable solar cells, how a visit to the toilet in a summer cottage led to a breakthrough in enzyme research and many other stories from a decade of strategic research.
Citation preview
Annual Report 20132014wwwfivudkdcsr
Strategicresearch 2004ndash2014
Contents
ForewordProblem-oriented researchspurs innovation
International collaboration strengthens Danish researchA super-bright idea
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutionsAn entirely unique profile
An expensive and slimy problem
The quality concept of the Danish Council
for Strategic Research
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companiesFrom hay and waste to food and medicine
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The solar cell printer
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
A tiny chip turned into three patents and
three companies
The unruliness of research
Key figuresBoard and organisationFunding recipients 2013A decade of Strategic ResearchSecretariat
34
6
81215
161822
23
2428303236
38
4042435457
Cove
r pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
The Danish Council for Strategic Research3
Figures for grants awarded in 2013
ForewordSignificant results from strategic research
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research seeks to promote and advance research with high international impact which is geared to resolving key chal-lenges in society and which will be potentially instrumental in achieving increased national economic growth and welfare
The Council was established in 2004 Over the
decade that has now passed the Council has pri-
oritised the funding of research with the potential
to realise value creation through public-private
partnerships and the involvement of users and
international parties
The following sums up the significant results
achieved by the Council over a decade of stra-
tegic research
mdash Active international participation has been
achieved in the majority (82 per cent) of the
Councils funded projects
mdash Participation in strategic research activities
readies researchers for participation in inter-
national research projects
mdash Private-sector participation has been
achieved in 91 per cent of the Councils funded
projects
mdash Participation by private-sector enterprises
strengthens both basic and applied research
mdash The Council has contributed to the training of
1750 PhDs
mdash PhDs trained in interdisciplinary strategic
environments are attractive to business and
industry
mdash Strategic research boosts university degree
programmes
mdash Extensive interdisciplinarity and user involve-
ment promote the potential applicability of
the research
mdash The Council has granted research funding
worth approx DKK 65 billion
mdash To this may be added co-financing of DKK 44
billion
mdash The average grant size has increased from
DKK 4 million to approx DKK 19 million
On the following pages we present a small selec-
tion of the diverse research activities funded by the
Council
Shortly before the Council is dissolved I would like
to take this opportunity to thank both the present
and former members of the Board and the Councils
programme commissions for their immense and
dedicated efforts which have been a crucial factor
for the importance of the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research for both Danish research and Danish
society generally
I look forward to the continuation of the many posi-
tive experiences with the Danish National Innova-
tion Foundation
March 2014
Peter Olesen
Chair of the Board
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
4 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Interview Strategic research within the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Problem- oriented research spurs innovation
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research5
Danish society needs a founda-tion that is mandated to operate strategically without constraints in order to pave the way for even more research-based innova-tion The opinion comes from the Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Oles-en ahead of the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foun-dation on 1 April 2014 But the hope is also that the foundation will catalyse strengthened inter-national research collaboration
ldquoIn the decade of its existence the Danish Council
for Strategic Research has been an important
factor in strengthening public-private partner-
ships on research focused on solving significant
challenges in societyrdquo says Peter Olesen who
has chaired the Council since 2008 ldquoThe Council
has served as the catalyst in advancing research
collaboration that could not have happened
spontaneouslyrdquo
One of the areas given especially high priority
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research has
been that of catalysing international collabora-
tion ldquoWe live in a globalised world where the com-
petition is very tough To keep Danish research
at the forefront we have to collaborate with the
best in the world Only in this way can we provide
for the training of highly qualified researchers
and graduates for both the public and private
sectors says Peter Olsen ldquoThis is crucially
important for Danish business and industrys
competitiveness on the global market and for the
development of the public sectorrdquo
The Councils focus has certainly been to get inter-
national collaboration into gear In its first year
less than a quarter of the Councils grants were
made to research conducted in active partnership
with international researchers Today this is more
the rule rather than the exception
The double bottom line training and
innovation
More than half of the Councils grants are used
for research training This provides a vital boost
to research-based teaching and hence to
future graduates qualifications in strategically
important areas But the Council also attaches
importance to the problem-oriented focus of the
research and to it being conducted in interdisci-
plinary settings in close interaction with users
ldquoIt paves the way for the research-based in-
novation on which Denmark will be reliant in the
futurerdquo Peter Olesen asserts ldquoWe operate with
a kind of double bottom line We have to ensure
both capacity-building at the universities and
the translation of research into innovation in the
private and public sectorsrdquo
Consequently there will also be a need for invest-
ment in strategic research in the years ahead
Peter Olesen predicts that the interdisciplinary
approach to solving significant challenges in
society within for example health foods the en-
vironment energy and transport is set to become
far more prominent in international contexts
ldquoThe EU has also adopted the approach ndash just look
at Horizon2020 We are in great need of stra-
tegic research conducted within public-private
partnerships and with the involvement of relevant
users This is the best guarantee that the research
results will actually be used by large and small
enterprises public authorities hospitals and
educational institutionsrdquo
Danish National Innovation Foundation
The agreement on the Danish National Innovation
Foundation stipulates the balance that is to exist
between grants for strategic research and grants
for technology development and innovation Con-
sequently Peter Olesen is expecting more than
half of the foundations grants to continue to be
made to strategic research
At the same time Peter Olesen emphasises
that Danish society needs a foundation that
is mandated to operate strategically without
constraints in order to pave the way for even more
research-based innovation Asked where the
Danish National Innovation Foundation will be in
ten years the retiring chair expresses the hope
that the system of operating at arms length from
the political system will be upheld
ldquoFirstly I hope that the foundation is still in exist-
ence in ten years time and that it is permitted to
pursue long-term strategic plans without frequent
politically-determined adjustments I also hope
that the foundation will have proved an effective
catalyst for public-private partnerships on re-
search and innovation at a high international level
and with emphasis on user involvement and that
the foundation has catalysed further strengthen-
ing of international collaboration on research and
innovationrdquo bull
Danish National Innovation Foundation
At the end of 2013 a political compromise was made by which the Danish Council for Strategic Research will be dissolved on 1 April 2014
This same date will see the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Olesen will continue on the board of the Dan-ish National Innovation Foundation until the end of 2014 together with the chair of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Contents
ForewordProblem-oriented researchspurs innovation
International collaboration strengthens Danish researchA super-bright idea
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutionsAn entirely unique profile
An expensive and slimy problem
The quality concept of the Danish Council
for Strategic Research
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companiesFrom hay and waste to food and medicine
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The solar cell printer
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
A tiny chip turned into three patents and
three companies
The unruliness of research
Key figuresBoard and organisationFunding recipients 2013A decade of Strategic ResearchSecretariat
34
6
81215
161822
23
2428303236
38
4042435457
Cove
r pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
The Danish Council for Strategic Research3
Figures for grants awarded in 2013
ForewordSignificant results from strategic research
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research seeks to promote and advance research with high international impact which is geared to resolving key chal-lenges in society and which will be potentially instrumental in achieving increased national economic growth and welfare
The Council was established in 2004 Over the
decade that has now passed the Council has pri-
oritised the funding of research with the potential
to realise value creation through public-private
partnerships and the involvement of users and
international parties
The following sums up the significant results
achieved by the Council over a decade of stra-
tegic research
mdash Active international participation has been
achieved in the majority (82 per cent) of the
Councils funded projects
mdash Participation in strategic research activities
readies researchers for participation in inter-
national research projects
mdash Private-sector participation has been
achieved in 91 per cent of the Councils funded
projects
mdash Participation by private-sector enterprises
strengthens both basic and applied research
mdash The Council has contributed to the training of
1750 PhDs
mdash PhDs trained in interdisciplinary strategic
environments are attractive to business and
industry
mdash Strategic research boosts university degree
programmes
mdash Extensive interdisciplinarity and user involve-
ment promote the potential applicability of
the research
mdash The Council has granted research funding
worth approx DKK 65 billion
mdash To this may be added co-financing of DKK 44
billion
mdash The average grant size has increased from
DKK 4 million to approx DKK 19 million
On the following pages we present a small selec-
tion of the diverse research activities funded by the
Council
Shortly before the Council is dissolved I would like
to take this opportunity to thank both the present
and former members of the Board and the Councils
programme commissions for their immense and
dedicated efforts which have been a crucial factor
for the importance of the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research for both Danish research and Danish
society generally
I look forward to the continuation of the many posi-
tive experiences with the Danish National Innova-
tion Foundation
March 2014
Peter Olesen
Chair of the Board
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
4 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Interview Strategic research within the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Problem- oriented research spurs innovation
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research5
Danish society needs a founda-tion that is mandated to operate strategically without constraints in order to pave the way for even more research-based innova-tion The opinion comes from the Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Oles-en ahead of the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foun-dation on 1 April 2014 But the hope is also that the foundation will catalyse strengthened inter-national research collaboration
ldquoIn the decade of its existence the Danish Council
for Strategic Research has been an important
factor in strengthening public-private partner-
ships on research focused on solving significant
challenges in societyrdquo says Peter Olesen who
has chaired the Council since 2008 ldquoThe Council
has served as the catalyst in advancing research
collaboration that could not have happened
spontaneouslyrdquo
One of the areas given especially high priority
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research has
been that of catalysing international collabora-
tion ldquoWe live in a globalised world where the com-
petition is very tough To keep Danish research
at the forefront we have to collaborate with the
best in the world Only in this way can we provide
for the training of highly qualified researchers
and graduates for both the public and private
sectors says Peter Olsen ldquoThis is crucially
important for Danish business and industrys
competitiveness on the global market and for the
development of the public sectorrdquo
The Councils focus has certainly been to get inter-
national collaboration into gear In its first year
less than a quarter of the Councils grants were
made to research conducted in active partnership
with international researchers Today this is more
the rule rather than the exception
The double bottom line training and
innovation
More than half of the Councils grants are used
for research training This provides a vital boost
to research-based teaching and hence to
future graduates qualifications in strategically
important areas But the Council also attaches
importance to the problem-oriented focus of the
research and to it being conducted in interdisci-
plinary settings in close interaction with users
ldquoIt paves the way for the research-based in-
novation on which Denmark will be reliant in the
futurerdquo Peter Olesen asserts ldquoWe operate with
a kind of double bottom line We have to ensure
both capacity-building at the universities and
the translation of research into innovation in the
private and public sectorsrdquo
Consequently there will also be a need for invest-
ment in strategic research in the years ahead
Peter Olesen predicts that the interdisciplinary
approach to solving significant challenges in
society within for example health foods the en-
vironment energy and transport is set to become
far more prominent in international contexts
ldquoThe EU has also adopted the approach ndash just look
at Horizon2020 We are in great need of stra-
tegic research conducted within public-private
partnerships and with the involvement of relevant
users This is the best guarantee that the research
results will actually be used by large and small
enterprises public authorities hospitals and
educational institutionsrdquo
Danish National Innovation Foundation
The agreement on the Danish National Innovation
Foundation stipulates the balance that is to exist
between grants for strategic research and grants
for technology development and innovation Con-
sequently Peter Olesen is expecting more than
half of the foundations grants to continue to be
made to strategic research
At the same time Peter Olesen emphasises
that Danish society needs a foundation that
is mandated to operate strategically without
constraints in order to pave the way for even more
research-based innovation Asked where the
Danish National Innovation Foundation will be in
ten years the retiring chair expresses the hope
that the system of operating at arms length from
the political system will be upheld
ldquoFirstly I hope that the foundation is still in exist-
ence in ten years time and that it is permitted to
pursue long-term strategic plans without frequent
politically-determined adjustments I also hope
that the foundation will have proved an effective
catalyst for public-private partnerships on re-
search and innovation at a high international level
and with emphasis on user involvement and that
the foundation has catalysed further strengthen-
ing of international collaboration on research and
innovationrdquo bull
Danish National Innovation Foundation
At the end of 2013 a political compromise was made by which the Danish Council for Strategic Research will be dissolved on 1 April 2014
This same date will see the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Olesen will continue on the board of the Dan-ish National Innovation Foundation until the end of 2014 together with the chair of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research3
Figures for grants awarded in 2013
ForewordSignificant results from strategic research
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research seeks to promote and advance research with high international impact which is geared to resolving key chal-lenges in society and which will be potentially instrumental in achieving increased national economic growth and welfare
The Council was established in 2004 Over the
decade that has now passed the Council has pri-
oritised the funding of research with the potential
to realise value creation through public-private
partnerships and the involvement of users and
international parties
The following sums up the significant results
achieved by the Council over a decade of stra-
tegic research
mdash Active international participation has been
achieved in the majority (82 per cent) of the
Councils funded projects
mdash Participation in strategic research activities
readies researchers for participation in inter-
national research projects
mdash Private-sector participation has been
achieved in 91 per cent of the Councils funded
projects
mdash Participation by private-sector enterprises
strengthens both basic and applied research
mdash The Council has contributed to the training of
1750 PhDs
mdash PhDs trained in interdisciplinary strategic
environments are attractive to business and
industry
mdash Strategic research boosts university degree
programmes
mdash Extensive interdisciplinarity and user involve-
ment promote the potential applicability of
the research
mdash The Council has granted research funding
worth approx DKK 65 billion
mdash To this may be added co-financing of DKK 44
billion
mdash The average grant size has increased from
DKK 4 million to approx DKK 19 million
On the following pages we present a small selec-
tion of the diverse research activities funded by the
Council
Shortly before the Council is dissolved I would like
to take this opportunity to thank both the present
and former members of the Board and the Councils
programme commissions for their immense and
dedicated efforts which have been a crucial factor
for the importance of the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research for both Danish research and Danish
society generally
I look forward to the continuation of the many posi-
tive experiences with the Danish National Innova-
tion Foundation
March 2014
Peter Olesen
Chair of the Board
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
4 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Interview Strategic research within the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Problem- oriented research spurs innovation
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research5
Danish society needs a founda-tion that is mandated to operate strategically without constraints in order to pave the way for even more research-based innova-tion The opinion comes from the Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Oles-en ahead of the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foun-dation on 1 April 2014 But the hope is also that the foundation will catalyse strengthened inter-national research collaboration
ldquoIn the decade of its existence the Danish Council
for Strategic Research has been an important
factor in strengthening public-private partner-
ships on research focused on solving significant
challenges in societyrdquo says Peter Olesen who
has chaired the Council since 2008 ldquoThe Council
has served as the catalyst in advancing research
collaboration that could not have happened
spontaneouslyrdquo
One of the areas given especially high priority
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research has
been that of catalysing international collabora-
tion ldquoWe live in a globalised world where the com-
petition is very tough To keep Danish research
at the forefront we have to collaborate with the
best in the world Only in this way can we provide
for the training of highly qualified researchers
and graduates for both the public and private
sectors says Peter Olsen ldquoThis is crucially
important for Danish business and industrys
competitiveness on the global market and for the
development of the public sectorrdquo
The Councils focus has certainly been to get inter-
national collaboration into gear In its first year
less than a quarter of the Councils grants were
made to research conducted in active partnership
with international researchers Today this is more
the rule rather than the exception
The double bottom line training and
innovation
More than half of the Councils grants are used
for research training This provides a vital boost
to research-based teaching and hence to
future graduates qualifications in strategically
important areas But the Council also attaches
importance to the problem-oriented focus of the
research and to it being conducted in interdisci-
plinary settings in close interaction with users
ldquoIt paves the way for the research-based in-
novation on which Denmark will be reliant in the
futurerdquo Peter Olesen asserts ldquoWe operate with
a kind of double bottom line We have to ensure
both capacity-building at the universities and
the translation of research into innovation in the
private and public sectorsrdquo
Consequently there will also be a need for invest-
ment in strategic research in the years ahead
Peter Olesen predicts that the interdisciplinary
approach to solving significant challenges in
society within for example health foods the en-
vironment energy and transport is set to become
far more prominent in international contexts
ldquoThe EU has also adopted the approach ndash just look
at Horizon2020 We are in great need of stra-
tegic research conducted within public-private
partnerships and with the involvement of relevant
users This is the best guarantee that the research
results will actually be used by large and small
enterprises public authorities hospitals and
educational institutionsrdquo
Danish National Innovation Foundation
The agreement on the Danish National Innovation
Foundation stipulates the balance that is to exist
between grants for strategic research and grants
for technology development and innovation Con-
sequently Peter Olesen is expecting more than
half of the foundations grants to continue to be
made to strategic research
At the same time Peter Olesen emphasises
that Danish society needs a foundation that
is mandated to operate strategically without
constraints in order to pave the way for even more
research-based innovation Asked where the
Danish National Innovation Foundation will be in
ten years the retiring chair expresses the hope
that the system of operating at arms length from
the political system will be upheld
ldquoFirstly I hope that the foundation is still in exist-
ence in ten years time and that it is permitted to
pursue long-term strategic plans without frequent
politically-determined adjustments I also hope
that the foundation will have proved an effective
catalyst for public-private partnerships on re-
search and innovation at a high international level
and with emphasis on user involvement and that
the foundation has catalysed further strengthen-
ing of international collaboration on research and
innovationrdquo bull
Danish National Innovation Foundation
At the end of 2013 a political compromise was made by which the Danish Council for Strategic Research will be dissolved on 1 April 2014
This same date will see the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Olesen will continue on the board of the Dan-ish National Innovation Foundation until the end of 2014 together with the chair of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
4 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Interview Strategic research within the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Problem- oriented research spurs innovation
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research5
Danish society needs a founda-tion that is mandated to operate strategically without constraints in order to pave the way for even more research-based innova-tion The opinion comes from the Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Oles-en ahead of the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foun-dation on 1 April 2014 But the hope is also that the foundation will catalyse strengthened inter-national research collaboration
ldquoIn the decade of its existence the Danish Council
for Strategic Research has been an important
factor in strengthening public-private partner-
ships on research focused on solving significant
challenges in societyrdquo says Peter Olesen who
has chaired the Council since 2008 ldquoThe Council
has served as the catalyst in advancing research
collaboration that could not have happened
spontaneouslyrdquo
One of the areas given especially high priority
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research has
been that of catalysing international collabora-
tion ldquoWe live in a globalised world where the com-
petition is very tough To keep Danish research
at the forefront we have to collaborate with the
best in the world Only in this way can we provide
for the training of highly qualified researchers
and graduates for both the public and private
sectors says Peter Olsen ldquoThis is crucially
important for Danish business and industrys
competitiveness on the global market and for the
development of the public sectorrdquo
The Councils focus has certainly been to get inter-
national collaboration into gear In its first year
less than a quarter of the Councils grants were
made to research conducted in active partnership
with international researchers Today this is more
the rule rather than the exception
The double bottom line training and
innovation
More than half of the Councils grants are used
for research training This provides a vital boost
to research-based teaching and hence to
future graduates qualifications in strategically
important areas But the Council also attaches
importance to the problem-oriented focus of the
research and to it being conducted in interdisci-
plinary settings in close interaction with users
ldquoIt paves the way for the research-based in-
novation on which Denmark will be reliant in the
futurerdquo Peter Olesen asserts ldquoWe operate with
a kind of double bottom line We have to ensure
both capacity-building at the universities and
the translation of research into innovation in the
private and public sectorsrdquo
Consequently there will also be a need for invest-
ment in strategic research in the years ahead
Peter Olesen predicts that the interdisciplinary
approach to solving significant challenges in
society within for example health foods the en-
vironment energy and transport is set to become
far more prominent in international contexts
ldquoThe EU has also adopted the approach ndash just look
at Horizon2020 We are in great need of stra-
tegic research conducted within public-private
partnerships and with the involvement of relevant
users This is the best guarantee that the research
results will actually be used by large and small
enterprises public authorities hospitals and
educational institutionsrdquo
Danish National Innovation Foundation
The agreement on the Danish National Innovation
Foundation stipulates the balance that is to exist
between grants for strategic research and grants
for technology development and innovation Con-
sequently Peter Olesen is expecting more than
half of the foundations grants to continue to be
made to strategic research
At the same time Peter Olesen emphasises
that Danish society needs a foundation that
is mandated to operate strategically without
constraints in order to pave the way for even more
research-based innovation Asked where the
Danish National Innovation Foundation will be in
ten years the retiring chair expresses the hope
that the system of operating at arms length from
the political system will be upheld
ldquoFirstly I hope that the foundation is still in exist-
ence in ten years time and that it is permitted to
pursue long-term strategic plans without frequent
politically-determined adjustments I also hope
that the foundation will have proved an effective
catalyst for public-private partnerships on re-
search and innovation at a high international level
and with emphasis on user involvement and that
the foundation has catalysed further strengthen-
ing of international collaboration on research and
innovationrdquo bull
Danish National Innovation Foundation
At the end of 2013 a political compromise was made by which the Danish Council for Strategic Research will be dissolved on 1 April 2014
This same date will see the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Olesen will continue on the board of the Dan-ish National Innovation Foundation until the end of 2014 together with the chair of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research5
Danish society needs a founda-tion that is mandated to operate strategically without constraints in order to pave the way for even more research-based innova-tion The opinion comes from the Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Oles-en ahead of the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foun-dation on 1 April 2014 But the hope is also that the foundation will catalyse strengthened inter-national research collaboration
ldquoIn the decade of its existence the Danish Council
for Strategic Research has been an important
factor in strengthening public-private partner-
ships on research focused on solving significant
challenges in societyrdquo says Peter Olesen who
has chaired the Council since 2008 ldquoThe Council
has served as the catalyst in advancing research
collaboration that could not have happened
spontaneouslyrdquo
One of the areas given especially high priority
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research has
been that of catalysing international collabora-
tion ldquoWe live in a globalised world where the com-
petition is very tough To keep Danish research
at the forefront we have to collaborate with the
best in the world Only in this way can we provide
for the training of highly qualified researchers
and graduates for both the public and private
sectors says Peter Olsen ldquoThis is crucially
important for Danish business and industrys
competitiveness on the global market and for the
development of the public sectorrdquo
The Councils focus has certainly been to get inter-
national collaboration into gear In its first year
less than a quarter of the Councils grants were
made to research conducted in active partnership
with international researchers Today this is more
the rule rather than the exception
The double bottom line training and
innovation
More than half of the Councils grants are used
for research training This provides a vital boost
to research-based teaching and hence to
future graduates qualifications in strategically
important areas But the Council also attaches
importance to the problem-oriented focus of the
research and to it being conducted in interdisci-
plinary settings in close interaction with users
ldquoIt paves the way for the research-based in-
novation on which Denmark will be reliant in the
futurerdquo Peter Olesen asserts ldquoWe operate with
a kind of double bottom line We have to ensure
both capacity-building at the universities and
the translation of research into innovation in the
private and public sectorsrdquo
Consequently there will also be a need for invest-
ment in strategic research in the years ahead
Peter Olesen predicts that the interdisciplinary
approach to solving significant challenges in
society within for example health foods the en-
vironment energy and transport is set to become
far more prominent in international contexts
ldquoThe EU has also adopted the approach ndash just look
at Horizon2020 We are in great need of stra-
tegic research conducted within public-private
partnerships and with the involvement of relevant
users This is the best guarantee that the research
results will actually be used by large and small
enterprises public authorities hospitals and
educational institutionsrdquo
Danish National Innovation Foundation
The agreement on the Danish National Innovation
Foundation stipulates the balance that is to exist
between grants for strategic research and grants
for technology development and innovation Con-
sequently Peter Olesen is expecting more than
half of the foundations grants to continue to be
made to strategic research
At the same time Peter Olesen emphasises
that Danish society needs a foundation that
is mandated to operate strategically without
constraints in order to pave the way for even more
research-based innovation Asked where the
Danish National Innovation Foundation will be in
ten years the retiring chair expresses the hope
that the system of operating at arms length from
the political system will be upheld
ldquoFirstly I hope that the foundation is still in exist-
ence in ten years time and that it is permitted to
pursue long-term strategic plans without frequent
politically-determined adjustments I also hope
that the foundation will have proved an effective
catalyst for public-private partnerships on re-
search and innovation at a high international level
and with emphasis on user involvement and that
the foundation has catalysed further strengthen-
ing of international collaboration on research and
innovationrdquo bull
Danish National Innovation Foundation
At the end of 2013 a political compromise was made by which the Danish Council for Strategic Research will be dissolved on 1 April 2014
This same date will see the creation of the Danish National Innovation Foundation
Chair of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Peter Olesen will continue on the board of the Dan-ish National Innovation Foundation until the end of 2014 together with the chair of the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the chair of the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
6 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
International collaboration strengthens Danish research
One of the stated objectives for the Danish Council for Strategic Research has been that its grants shall serve to strengthen inter-national research collaboration Consequently the focus has been on increasing the proportion of grants to projects involving inter-national partners
In addition the Council has concluded bilateral
cooperation agreements with India China Brazil
and South Korea and participates in a number of
multilateral partnerships at the European level
Participation in multilateral European
research collaboration
Participation in European research collaboration
within areas of strategic importance for Denmark
opens up opportunities for extending research
partnerships across national borders and for
exerting Danish influence on calls for funding
within Horizon 2020
To that end since 2009 the Council has stepped
up its European commitment through its ongo-
ing allocations of increasing funding amounts to
joint European research projects The individual
grants are typically smaller than the Councils
grants but are of strategic importance in pro-
moting promising partnerships between the best
researchers in Europe
Bilateral cooperationmdash Opens doors for Danish researchers seek-
ing to collaborate with researchers in ldquonewrdquo
growth countries which Danes have no pre-
vious tradition for allying themselves with
and in which collaboration may be associated
with certain barriers
mdash Provides Danish business and industry with
opportunities on rapidly growing markets
that are often also more difficult to gain
access to than those with which Denmark
traditionally has collaborated
mdash Facilitates access to a large body of global
expertise
mdash Is a long-term investment with high poten-
tial in terms of research and commercial
applications
mdash Strengthens Danish research because it is
carried out jointly with highly qualified inter-
national researchers
mdash Ensures researcher mobility ndash bright minds
come to Denmark and Danish research-
ers have the opportunity to join some of the
best international environments as visiting
researchers
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
7 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Grants for bilateral projects 2009ndash2013
South Korea
Brazil
India
China
DKK millions
0
40
30
20
10
20112012
20132009
2010
The Danish Council for Strate-gic Research is participating in the following joint European programmes
BONUS Joint Baltic Sea Research and Development Programme
JPI Agriculture Food Security and Climate Change bull Urban Europe bull Neurodegenerative Diseases bull Anti-microbial Resistance bull Healthy Diet for a Healthy Life bull More Years Better Lives bull Water bull Climate bull Oceans
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 bull ELECTROMOBILITY+ bull ICT and robot-ics in agriculture bull Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA) bull EUPHRESCO 2 (plant health) bull Human Infectious Dis-eases bull Sustainable Food bull Synthetic Biology bull Fisheries Aquaculture and Seafood Processing bull Plant Sciences
Funds earmarked for joint European projects 2010ndash2013
DKK millions
0
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
20112012
20132010
The diagram includes strategic research pro-jects alliances centers and SPIR
Number of grants and proportion involving international partners 2007ndash2013
40
50
60
70
30
20
10
Number of grants
20112012
20132007
20082009
2010
0
40
60
80
100
20
0
Proportion of grants with international partners
Number of grants with international partners
Number of grants
16
38
60
89
76
85 82
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research8
A super- bright idea
Nanophotonics Towards better and cheaper diodes
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
A super- bright idea
The light source of the future is the LED or Light Emitting Diode In a close Danish-Chinese collab-oration Haiyan Ou is research-ing diodes that are much more energy efficient than traditional light sources Access to Chinese facilities and expertise is help-ing Denmark take the lead in the lighting technology of the future ndash and these super-diodes can be used in everything from comput-er monitors to solar panels
Artificial light is essential in our society We need
streetlights and various types of indoor lighting
and we need lights for displays in telephones
and for TV and computer flat screens From this
perspective diodes have enormous eco-friendly
potential representing a huge new market on a
global scale However there are some chal-
lenges with diodes as we know them today For
instance the light they produce is generally not
very bright and they are expensive to manufac-
ture This has put a damper on any major com-
mercial breakthrough
However Chinese-born Haiyan Ou is working on
changing the stakes She is head of the Danish
contribution to the bilateral research project
SBLED ndash Super-Bright LEDs ndash as a researcher in
and developer of new super-bright LEDs that are
also less expensive to produce The Chinese part-
ners in the project Chinese Academy of Science
and Beijing Jiao Tong University are both leaders
in the field of LEDs and are helping to turn the col-
laboration into a world-class research project
ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nanofabricationrdquo
Hayian OuAssociate professor DTU Fotonik
Pho
to O
an
h
Sca
np
ix
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
10 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nanocrystals refract light better
Aided by the latest research in nanophotonics
which is the engineering art of manipulating light
and optics on a molecular scale Haiyan Oursquos
diodes convert more electricity into light than tra-
ditional diodes which lose a significant share of
their electricity as heat Furthermore the surface
of the new diodes is pitted with nanoparticles of
silver which magnify the radiance in the sur-
roundings In this way Haiyan Oursquos super-diodes
are expected to be 10 to 20 per cent brighter than
traditional LEDs
Optimising the production methods already in
use for LEDs and cheaper materials make the
new super-diodes significantly less expensive
to manufacture The super-diodes can be used
in many sectors and in many products that use
artificial light sources Diodes that emit more light
entail lamps and devices that use less electricity
or require fewer diodes to produce the desired
brightness
The super-diode is ready for production
The new diodes are not just excellent light emit-
ters but can also be used to capture light for ex-
ample in solar panels Just as the new diodes emit
significantly more light when they receive elec-
tricity they also generate more electricity when
they receive light In this way the new diodes can
also be used to optimise electricity production a
process Haiyan Ou has already patented
In other words the super-diodes have an extreme-
ly wide field of application In fact one objective
of the research project is to improve Denmarkrsquos
competitiveness in the field of LEDs and ndash through
collaboration with some of the strongest partners
in China ndash to make Denmark a leader in the light
technology of the future To this end Haiyan Ou has
started her own business with a super-diode type
that is already ready for market Together with
Innovation Centre Denmark in Shanghai she is
attempting to promote the diodes and to put them
into mass production in China
Although this bilateral collaboration is very
promising it can be a big challenge to plan and
conduct technically demanding and complex
research such as nanotechnology on two differ-
ent continents Which is why good planning and
coordination are essential
Collaboration across the globe
The three partners in the project maintain daily
contact via e-mail or they arrange meetings in
China and Denmark The result is a close Danish-
Chinese scientific collaboration At the same
time Haiyan Oursquos Chinese background helps to
bridge the linguistic and cultural divides that can
otherwise make collaboration between Europe
and Asia difficult
And good communication between the partners
ensures that everyone gets the most out of the
2013 Strategic Research Award winner
In 2013 Haiyan Ou (to the left) received one of the first Strategic Research Awards for research of particularly high innovative potential
Strategic Research Awards are granted to researchers who conduct outstanding research with special stra-tegic characteristics
The award is worth DKK 75000 intended for research activities and competence building
The Councilrsquos Chair of the Board Peter Olesen and the other price winner Filippo Bosco from DTU Nanotech is also seen in the picture
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Nano holes
Sectional drawing of the surface of a SBLED compared to a traditional LED Holes are pitted into to sur-face There are silver nanoparticles in the bottom of the holes This special surface treatment focuses and magnifies the light emission of the SBLED as opposed to the random light emission in traditional LEDs
Light source of the future
LEDs are 20 times brighter than traditional candescent bulbs and 5 times brighter than fluo-rescent lamps Traditional LEDs have an efficacy of 120 to 140 lumen per watt but the SBLEDs might have an efficacy of 150 to 180 lumen per watt That is an increase of 10 to 20 per cent The service life is expected to be the same
100LmW
150LmW
50LmW
0LmW
SBLED
Ordinary LED
The Danish Council for Strategic Research11
collaboration ldquoThe advantage is that we comple-
ment each other extremely wellrdquo explains Haiyan
Ou ldquoIn China they have the facilities and the
expertise to work with large-scale and sensitive
equipment while in Denmark wersquore good at nano-
fabrication At the Technical University of Denmark
(DTU) we would not be able to achieve the level
of our Chinese partners as quickly if it were not
for this partnership In this respect international
collaboration makes perfect senserdquo bull
Super-bright LEDs
Diodes consume very little electricity and have a very long service life
Diodes can be used in all artificial light sources ndash such as streetlights indoor lamps and flat screens
Super-Bright LEDs are better at converting electricity into light and magnifying the radiance in the surroundings
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
12 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Dementia mdash a shared European problem
Biomarkers International collaboration makes Danish researchers better
For a small country like Denmark it is vital that we collaborate with other countries in the face of significant societal challenges such as dementia Today approx 7 million Europeans have Alzheimerrsquos or a similar dementia- related condition and this figure is set to rise as Europersquos population ages
In the Joint Programming Initiative for Neurode-
generative Diseases (JPND) a number of European
countries are working together to address the
challenges associated with dementia disorders
One of the challenges within dementia research
is harmonising the methods used to diagnose
the conditions They need to be uniform in clinical
practice and in research-related contexts This
is what Professor Gunhild Waldemar from the
University of Copenhagen is working on in the
JPND-funded research project Biomarkers for
Alzheimerrsquos disease and Parkinsonrsquos disease
The objective of the project is to identify early
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research is compa-rable on an international scalerdquo
Gunhild WaldemarHead of the Danish
Dementia Research
Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash
Rigshospitalet
The Danish Council for Strategic Research13
Collaboration on research in Europe JPIs
Joint Programming Initiatives (JPIs) are strategic col-laborations that focus and mobilise research resources to address major societal challenges
Via the Danish Council for Strategic Research Denmark is participating in nine JPIs
Since 2009 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has earmarked DKK 576 million for JPI research projects
biochemical changes in the brain and to make it
possible to diagnose Alzheimerrsquos and Parkinsonrsquos
more quickly
ldquoIt is very valuable for Denmark that our research
is comparable on an international scalerdquo explains
Gunhild Waldemar who is also head of the Dan-
ish Dementia Research Centre at Copenhagen
University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet ldquoIt not only
makes it applicable internationally but in time it
will also strengthen the Danish pharmaceutical in-
dustry Through Danish researchers companies
will be linked to the right international networks
of researchers and methods and they will be
ready to take active part when it is technologically
possible to develop and produce drugs targeting
neurodegenerative diseasesrdquo
A family of research nations
JPND is one of a total of nine Joint Programming
Initiatives which the Danish Council for Strategic
Research is participating in on behalf of Den-
mark Professor Mogens Hoslashrder who has been
on the JPND executive board since 2009 has
helped to identify the areas where there is a par-
ticularly urgent need for research within neuro-
degenerative diseases The initiative focuses not
only on research that can prove significant for the
individual but also on the potentially enormous
health and socioeconomic benefits
ldquoDenmark is part of a family of research nations
all of which face a colossal challenge in this area
No single nation can cover the entire range of
research needed in the field And especially as a
small country it is a huge advantage as it means
we can ally ourselves with specific research fields
where we either have the best prerequisites or
the greatest needrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder adding
ldquoWe do not have a national strategic research
programme within neurodegenerative diseases
but we can benefit from the results of the joint
programme And since we have been involved
from the beginning we have had a significant
influence on the work being conductedrdquo
By 2040 dementia-related costs will reach
DKK 15ndash20 billion a year
In Europe about 7 million people live with Alzhei-
merrsquos and related neurodegenerative diseases
The annual cost of dementia disorders in Europe
is approx EUR 130 billion Because the number
of elderly people in the European population is
rising sharply the number of patients and the
associated costs are expected to double every
twenty years Nearly 89000 Danes are believed
to have a neurodegenerative disorder This figure
is expected to increase to 160000 by 2040 The
direct costs of dementia in Denmark are estimat-
ed today to be between DKK 10-15 billion a year
ldquoThe huge and growing number of dementia pa-
tients requires sharper focus on research in wel-
fare technological support functions within social
and health services There is a pressing need for
new solutionsrdquo maintains Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoEven
in the short term research in welfare technology
can result in significant benefits for community
healthcare which will within the next few years
need to realign the nursing home structure to
match the needs of the growing numbers of
patients with dementia Denmark already has
special expertise in this area Through our inter-
national research collaboration we can boost the
potential and Danish companies can quickly and
directly profit from the collaborationrdquo
Fast action and awareness are crucial
According to Gunhild Waldemar the steep
increase in the number of people with dementia
makes fast action crucial ldquoIn order to respond to
this societal challenge we really need to speed
up the research And we can only do this by join-
ing forces internationally We have to match the
rate of the demographic trend otherwise the
price we as a society will have to pay for neurode-
generative diseases will be colossalrdquo
For Mogens Hoslashrder greater awareness of the
collaboration is vital for future research rdquoIt will
boost user involvement and the participation
of local authorities and the health service With
increased focus on research and health policy
Denmarkrsquos participation could be even stronger
our influence on the efforts within JPND greater
ndash and our ability to pull research in the direction
of our own interests correspondingly better The
more attention and involvement we can get from
the municipalities and the health sector the more
we will benefitrdquo says Mogens Hoslashrder ldquoAnd that is
what characterises strategic research the users
define the demandrdquo bull
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
15 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research training programmes create opportunities and solutions
More than half of the grants funded by the Danish Council for Strategic Research go to PhD students and postdoctoral fel-lows One of the objectives of research training programmes in a strategic research project is to attract and train talented young researchers They help to boost capacity at the universities and contribute to solving major soci-etal challenges in the public and private sectors
Grants made by the Danish Council for Strategic
Research are also culture-bearers in that the
Council promotes collaboration across insti-
tutions ndash between public and private-sector
research and between Danish and international
researchers This serves to promote the research
concepts of newly trained researchers and their
approaches to addressing a societal problem
strategically
mdash From its creation in 2004 up to 2014 the
Danish Council for Strategic Research has
funded approx 1750 PhD students
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects often
receive interdisciplinary training since stra-
tegic research addresses societal challenges
and therefore requires an interdisciplinary
approach
mdash PhDs in strategic research projects are
trained in environments that focus on
international collaboration In 2013 82 per
cent of the funded projects included binding
international collaboration
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
16 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
An entirely unique profile
Competence development Knowledge boosting in the energy sector
Since the Danish Council for Stra-tegic Research was created in 2004 nearly 1750 PhD students have participated in strategic research projects wholly or par-tially funded by Council grants Close to one third of all PhDs have been trained in sustainable energy and the environment But what kind of experience comes with training as part of a large strategic research project
One researcher who trained on funding from the
Danish Council for Strategic Research is Peter
Stanley Joslashrgensen who is now a researcher at
DTUrsquos Department of Energy Conversion and Stor-
age at the Risoslash Campus just outside of Roskilde
west of Copenhagen He specialises in 3D image
characterisation which can be used to optimise
the energy conversion of fuel cells
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen was a PhD student at one
of the first strategic research centres to be funded
by the Danish Council for Strategic Research
the Strategic Electrochemistry Research Centre
(SERC) Today strategic research centres receive
grants of at least DKK 30 million and at SERC eight
PhDs and seven postdocs have been trained
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research17
Green gas fuel cells and electrolysis cells
A fuel cell converts chemical energy into electrical energy via an electrochemical process in which oxygen and hydro-gen are converted into electricity with water and heat as residual products
Fuel cells that run off hydrogen emit no CO2 or environmen-tally harmful particles
Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are a special type of fuel cell that can also run efficiently on natural gas The natural gas is used more efficiently in a fuel cell than in a gas turbine and thus emits less CO2 per kWh
In the reversed process electrolysis energy is stored as hydrogen or green gas (carbon-neutral synthesis gas) It can be used to store energy from fluctuating energy sources such as wind and the sun
The green gas can be used to make among other things carbon-neutral synthetic petrol for use in transport systems
ldquoJoining a centre like SERC was definitely a
strengthrdquo says Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen about his
PhD studies which he started in 2007 He notes in
particular the centrersquos bi-annual sessions where
all PhD students had to present their projects as
a good way to structure the work ldquoAnd socially I
also gained a lot from being part of such a teamrdquo
Salami technique
Academically Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen stuck out a
little in the group of PhD students Whereas most of
the other PhDs came from a background in chemis-
try and physics Peter Stanley Joslashrgensenrsquos starting
point on joining the project was a background in
mathematical modelling At SERC he used this
knowledge to characterise the structures of elec-
trodes in order to understand why the electrodes
in a fuel cell succeed or fail in energy conversion
The actual conversion of energy in a fuel cell ndash
from chemical energy to electrical energy ndash takes
place in so-called triple-phase boundaries
where the right materials are present and where
gasses (hydrogen oxygen and water vapour)
have access via pores in the electrodes In order
to characterise the fuel cell it is imaged using an
electron microscope With the aid of an ion beam
and the salami technique ndash slicing off thin sec-
tions at a time ndash it is possible to gradually slice off
a few nanometres of the fuel cell while capturing
images of the process The many images are then
used for further modelling and calculations
Unique expertise
The combination of mathematical modelling
and energy expertise has given Peter Stanley
Joslashrgensen some rather unique interdisciplinary
competences During his PhD studies it was
sometimes difficult to navigate two research en-
vironments but on completing the programme
the expertise he had acquired proved useful in
diverse contexts
This interdisciplinary PhD profile is also pointed
out by the head of SERC Professor Mogens Bjerg
Mogensen as one of the strategic research cen-
tresrsquo special strengths ldquoWhen researching and
developing fuel cell and electrolysis technologies
you need a broad interdisciplinary effort within
disciplines such as chemistry physics mechan-
ics and mathematics This is not possible if you
only have one or a few PhD students on a projectrdquo
explains the head of the centre
New knowledge and project teams
The interdisciplinary PhD and research environ-
ment at SERC has generated around 100 articles
and two patent applications ndash and helped to
strengthen the knowledge base at Topsoslashe Fuel
Cell which produces the type of fuel cell (solid
oxide fuel cell ndash SOFC) on which SERC has concen-
trated most of its research
Furthermore the centre has also applied its
pre-existing knowledge about fuel cells to new
contexts One outcome of this is a new type of oxy-
gen sensor and another former SERC PhD is now
working on a proof-of-concept project in close
collaboration with the company Dansensor in an
attempt to put the oxygen sensor into production
Peter Stanley Joslashrgensen also applies his knowl-
edge from SERC in other contexts ldquoIn the process
we developed some data analysis methods
which can also be applied in many other areasrdquo
explains the researcher For instance they can
be applied to electrolysis cells batteries and
materials for magnetic cooling ldquoThatrsquos part of
the interest in what I do ndash I get to learn about new
fields of study where my expertise can be put to
use and where Im part of a wider project team
My research can actually come to somethingrdquo bull
ldquoA broad interdisciplinary effort is not possible if you only have one or a few PhD students in a projectrdquo
Mogens Bjerg MogensenProfessor head of SERC
Pho
to Trin
e B
ukh
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research18
An expensive and slimy problem
Biofilm Researchers follow new paths in search of effective antibiotics
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Research in bacterial commu-nication systems is the key to combating many of the chronic multiresistant strains that infect 100000 Danes each year At the CAR research centre chemists biologists and doctors are work-ing together to develop brand new drugs that can attack an ancient defence mechanism in bacteria biofilm
What do dental plaque the dank smell in a wash-
ing machine and chronic infections have in com-
mon Quite a lot on a microscopic level All three
are caused by bacteria which combine to form a
slimy substance called biofilm ndash and in all three
the slime is almost impenetrable
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into a biofilm they
produce certain chemical structures that form
several layers of protective surfaces These
layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Professor Michael Givskov says about the
problem which he and his staff at the Center for
Antimicrobial Research (CAR) are investigating
The special surface on biofilm makes it difficult for
both the human immune system and antibiotics to
combat these types of infections
ldquoWhen bacteria combine into biofilm they produce certain chemical structures that form several layers of protective surfaces These layers can be almost impossible to penetraterdquo
Michael GivskovProfessor
Center for Antimicrobial Research (CAR)
Pho
to D
en
nis K
un
kel
Ph
oto
take
P
olfo
to
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
20 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Attacking the enemyrsquos communication lines
In the war on antimicrobial resistance Michael
Givskov and his colleagues have adopted a
strategy from classic warfare Attack the enemyrsquos
communication lines
Until the 1970s it was generally thought that
bacteria cells were so primitive that they could
not communicate with each other But they do
communicate and it is in fact a significant pre-
requisite to their ability to form biofilm Bacteria
communicate by secreting various chemical
substances as part of a process called quorum
sensing (QS)
Researchers at CAR have discovered several
substances that can block the QS communication
between bacteria in biofilm This effectively tricks
the bacteria into thinking that they are no longer
part of the biofilm thus weakening the biofilm and
making it less resistant to drugs and the human
immune system
Garlic is the weapon
Finding a substance that can weaken the biofilm
has required close collaboration among several
disciplines biologists chemists doctors and ex-
perts in the human immune system Microbiologists
at the University of Copenhagen are working closely
with chemists and nanotechnicians from DTU
ldquoThe ten PhDs at our centre receive highly unique
training in chemical biology You wonrsquot find this
discipline anywhere else in Denmark todayrdquo says
Michael Givskov
The interdisciplinary collaboration has resulted
in a patent of the compound ajoene derived from
Recent yearsrsquo research in biofilm has shown that
it plays a much bigger role in human infections
than was originally thought Around 100000
Danes every year are afflicted by chronic infec-
tions of which the vast majority occur during
hospitalisation Michael Givskov estimates that
this costs the Danish health service DKK 4 billion ndash
a year Not to mention the human costs
Tic Tacs and biofilm
ldquoThese chronic infections are a huge and serious
problem with significant socioeconomic conse-
quencesrdquo maintains Michael Givskov as he gives
a tour of the brand new laboratories at the Panum
Institute in Copenhagen where some of the CAR
researchers are based ldquoAnd today there are no
drugs that specifically target biofilmrdquo
The walls bear images of biofilm taken with elec-
tron microscopes Enlarged the rod-shaped bac-
teria look like giant Tic Tacs poured onto a sticky
surface The images are of the Pseudomonas aer-
uginosa bacterium which is the model organism
at the heart of the centrersquos work
For a patient with cystic fibrosis pseudomonas
can be life threatening if it gets into the lungs
Much of what we know today about biofilm comes
from research into cystic fibrosis ndash a disease on
which researchers across the street at Copen-
hagen University Hospital ndash Rigshospitalet are
world-leading experts
But pseudomonas is also a major problem in
chronic ulcers and among patients with implants
such as pacemakers or artificial hips In such
cases there is a risk of developing a chronic infec-
tion which can be extremely difficult to treat The
problem increases with the spread of bacteria
that are resistant to antibiotics
Bacteria find strength in numbers biofilm
Bacteria can join together to form complex structures called biofilm When bacteria form biofilm they grow extremely strong on the surface
Bacterial colonies in biofilm can withstand up to 1000 times the dosage of antibiotics than isolated bacteria
While human white blood cells have no problem consum-ing individual bacterial cells they have great difficulty penetrating the surface of biofilm
Via the biofilm the bacteria communicate to each other by way of quorum sensing also called the QS system Blocking this communication weakens the biofilm
The latest research shows that biofilm is the preferred form of existence for bacteria
In close up With a scan-ning electron microscope it is possible to see the biofilm in detail The film itself comprises among other things carbohydrates and non-coding DNA The sur-face displays some of the rod-shaped pseudomonas bacteria that make up the film
Photo Maria Alhede amp Thomas Bjarnsholt
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research21
garlic This compound blocks bacterial communi-
cation within the QS system But even though the
substance has been proven effective hospitals
should not expect to see a drug any time soon
Financing not keeping pace
Even though WHO has identified antimicrobial
resistance as the biggest global threat to public
health not much is being invested in the area
Clinical drug trials are too expensive for the public
coffers to finance On top of that the pharmaceu-
tical industry is not interested in investing in new
types of antibiotics
ldquoThe view in the industry is that antibiotics are a
less profitable business area because there are
restrictions on their use At the same time there
is far too little public-sector research funding
targeting the areardquo comments Michael Givskov
on the challenge of funding the development of
new antibiotics
Yet the war on biofilm is otherwise a very promis-
ing field The methods being developed at CAR
Antibiotic resistance mdash a global health threat
All use of antibiotics contributes to the development of re-sistant bacteria This is why restrictions have been placed on the use of antibiotics
The prevalence of resistant bacteria is increasing Without effective antibiotics we risk people dying from infections such as pneumonia
Bacteria respect no borders This is why resistance is a global problem
can technically be used anywhere there are
problems with biofilm in the health sector in the
agriculture and food industry and in households
This is an entirely new way of fighting undesirable
bacteria ndash both the kind that threatens lives and
the kind that threatens our washing bull
Mushroom structure
Under optimum growth conditions in the labora-tory microbiologists at CAR have created a biofilm with a characteristic surface that looks like a mushroom Ajoene a substance in garlic can weaken biofilm
Day 0
Day 1 Day 2
Day 3 Day 4
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
22 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Strategic research is subject to special quality
criteria The Council assesses the quality of appli-
cations on the basis of three equivalent criteria
the relevance potential impact and quality of the research
This three-fold quality concept is applied in evalu-
ation of applications submitted to the Danish
Council for Strategic Research and in the Coun-
cils follow-up of funded research activities
The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Re
leva
nce
Quality of the research
Strategicquality
Potential i
mp
ac
t
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research23
Public-private partnerships benefit researchers and companies
Solving major societal challenges requires collaboration between the private and the public sectors The Danish Council for Strategic Research has therefore been a catalyst for public-private part-nerships In 2013 91 per cent of the funded projects had private partners
Patents licenses and applications
An impact survey from 2011 gives a good
idea of the huge potential of public-private
partnerships
mdash 24 per cent of large grants (over DKK 5m)
resulted in spin-outs
mdash 9 per cent of the research activities obtained
patents 15 per cent applied for patents and
an additional 11 per cent had plans to file for
patents
mdash 4 per cent achieved licences and 11 per cent
had plans to enter into licensing agreements
mdash In an impressive 32 per cent of cases new or
improved products technologies methods
or equipment were taken into use and a
further 37 per cent expected this to happen
Researchers Applicability increases
For researchers in strategic research projects
these partnerships mean that
mdash More than half have obtained better insight into
companiesrsquo research needs
mdash Two thirds have strengthened their partner-
ships with companies and are considering
entering into partnerships in future
mdash for 80 per cent they resulted in increased
applicability of their research
Small and medium-sized enterprises Access to
expertise and methods
Researchers are not the only ones to gain from
public-private partnerships A survey from 2011
shows that the participation of small and medium-
sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic partnerships
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo networks and their ability to
maintain and exploit their networks
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo ability to develop and apply
new technologies and expertise
mdash strengthens SMEsrsquo market positions and their
access to new markets
Impact survey of Danish Council for Strategic Research grants conducted by TNS-Gallup in 2011Survey of SMEsrsquo participation in the Danish Council for Strategic Researchrsquos ordinary grants the special SME scheme and the Danish Council for Technology and Innova-tionrsquos research vouchers conducted by DAMVAD in 2011
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
24 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Bioeconomics Set the proteins free
From hay and waste to food and medicine
Global climate challenges ex-plosive population growth and a growing shortage of resources call for a smarter way to utilise the worldrsquos resources But what if waste products such as hay and crop waste could be recycled as animal feed antibiotics and diesel The recently concluded BIOREF project worked on new methods for breaking down crop waste so that valuable substanc-es like proteins and antimicrobial agents can be utilised rather than burnt off
Unutilised
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
Today
Food and feed
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Smarter utilisation of waste
Today large amounts of plant residue are re-garded as waste or are utilised ineffectively Via biorefining it is possible to break down the plant and extract components for high value products such as biomedicine biochemicals new food ingredients or other materials
Thus smart use of biomass will help guarantee both food safety feed production production of heating and electricity and environmental concerns while the new bio-based alternatives will replace fossil-based materials and fuels
The Danish Council for Strategic Research25
ldquoToday there is great inte-rest in proteins animal feed and medicine so that is some of what our project will producerdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
In the future
Food and feed
Medicine and antibiotics
Ingredients
BiochemicalsHigh quality feed
Materials
Biofuel
Litter for animals
Heating and electricity
Soil nutrition
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
26 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danmark and bioeconomics
In 2013 Denmark formed a national expert panel on bio-economics to help the Danish Government sharpen focus on resolving challenges and profit from the potential of smarter exploitation of bioresources
Denmark and the Danish Council for Strategic Research have several ongoing research and innovation activities within biorefining and smart exploitation of biomass
Denmark is at the forefront in refinery technology and has strong companies operating in the field
Denmark has established several biorefinery pilot plants and there are plans to build a full-scale biorefinery plant
The worldrsquos need for food and medicine is colos-
sal the extent of arable land is shrinking fast
and there is far too much resource wastage in the
production of foods For years our resource con-
sumption has contributed to climate problems
and our consumption is becoming increasingly
dependent on non-sustainable solutions
And to make things worse the limited resources
are not being fully exploited Huge amounts
of waste products are incinerated as waste to
produce electricity and heating However much
of the waste we burn today is a gold mine of
substances that can be used smarter ndash if we can
extract and utilise them separately
This is what Birgitte Ahring professor at Aalborg
University and Washington State University is
working to find a solution to The focus of the
BIOREF strategic research project is crop waste
grasses and gardenpark waste which contain
significant amounts of proteins calories and
fibres that can be refined and utilised in high-
value products ndash and the residual product can
still be converted into transport fuel electricity
and heating
Waste as a resource
Birgitte Ahring and her research colleagues at
Aalborg University and the University of Copen-
hagen have joined forces with three small Danish
companies to conduct research into exploiting
the value potential of biomass And there is plenty
of potential biomass contains components that
can be converted into medicine feed additives
for feed and food products biological alterna-
tives to todayrsquos fossil-based chemicals ingredi-
ents materials and biofuel
By utilising biorefining methods biomass can be
fractionally distilled into these many products
via biological (bio)chemical physical andor
thermochemical conversion A biorefinery can
therefore become more than just a link in the
chain that breaks down waste ndash now it can also
produce optimised useable biomass ndash like a
factory that optimises an integrated produc-
tion of many types of products in the most viable
resource-related and economic value stream
ldquoPreviously research in bioeconomics was only
about producing biofuels but in recent years
we have seen much greater focus on high-value
productsrdquo explains Birgitte Ahring ldquoWe may as
well find a smart way to utilise the components
Today there is great interest in proteins animal
feed and medicine so that is some of what our
project will producerdquo
Danish crop waste replaces imported
soy-based animal feed
In Birgitte Ahringrsquos project the partners have
therefore conducted research in the best possible
way to exploit crop waste via biorefineries by
realising the value potential of the components
For instance the removal of proteins from bio-
mass has no impact on the viability of the residual
product in biofuels
Today we import tonnes of non-sustainable
soy protein from South America and Danish pig
farming is completely dependent on the import of
this feed supplement By ldquoaccessingrdquo the proteins
by means of biorefining the composition of the
Danish biomass will make it significantly more
suitable for animal feed resulting in a real alter-
native to the massive soy imports
ldquoThe nutritional composition of the biomass we
use for feed today doesnrsquot match the animalsrsquo
needs ndash it simply does not contain enough bio-
rdquoPreviously research in bio-economics was only about producing biofuels but in recent years we have seen much greater focus on high-value productsrdquo
Birgitte AhringProfessor Aalborg University and
Washington State University
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research27
available accessible protein But processing
methods such as biorefining can significantly
improve the feed value of say hay and grass
ndash it ldquoopensrdquo the structures of the plantsrdquo says
Birgitte Ahring
The small company Biotest ApS proved to have
the key to the inaccessible proteins of plants
The company worked with the researchers to
develop a method that could fragment grass and
lucerne resulting in a high-value food protein
that can be used not only as concentrated feed for
pigs to replace imported soy but also has uses
in the pharmaceutical industry What makes the
protein unique is that it is not denatured Rather
its natural structures have been retained which
means that the protein is less allergenic and has a
higher value
New patent application out
ldquoWe have been quick off the mark and created
something that is in great demand ndash a method to
produce high-quality feed protein for animals
The potentials of this new method and the result-
ing protein product are enormous both within
food and feed We have a patent application out
which we are expecting a lot fromrdquo says Birgitte
Ahring
During the project the researchers also de-
veloped a new method of screening for new
enzymes which has already resulted in a patent
that Aalborg University and Novozymes use to-
day Similarly Birgitte Ahring hopes that this new
method of refining biomass will serve to reduce
the massive imports of soy protein for animal
feed make a difference in pharmaceutical pro-
duction and develop medicines and antibiotics
ldquoThe biorefining process revealed that several of
the plant components have antimicrobial effects
We havenrsquot tested them on a large scale yet but
there is an article on the topic on the way This
might have great potential for medicinal and
prebiotic userdquo says Birgitte Ahring
Protein and medicine can make biofuel
good business
The production of biomedicine and high-value
protein can be key products in the efforts to
replace fossil fuels with biofuels This is because
the price of biofuel is too low to make biorefining
profitable
But if the same plant can produce high-value
products feed and biofuel the subsequent profit-
able development would make it attractive to
convert waste into resources
ldquoThis project and our ongoing collaboration will
lead to a new attitude to waste as a resource
and change the procedures for how waste is
collected processed and refined in order to fulfil
the objective as a resourcerdquo says Morten Broslashg-
ger Kristensen head of technology at the Solum
Group which supplied pre-processed crop waste
for biorefining and contributed inputs on the
profitability of various solutions from a macro-
scopic perspective bull
Biorefining
In biorefining the ability of fungi and bacteria to decompose plant parts is exploited The biomass is broken down with the help of enzymes from select microorganisms combined with certain temperature and pressure levels These processes fragments the biomass and the components can be used for products such as biomedicine high value protein biochemicals and materials
During the course of the project researchers by accident discovered an entirely new and previously unknown As-pergillus species It was found on a toilet seat in a summer cottage by a curious PhD student
The fungus has a uniquely high ability to produce an enzyme that can break down plant structures and thereby release the carbohydrates that are otherwise ldquopacked awayrdquo and not bio-available
Furthermore the beta-glycosidase breakdown enzyme of the fungus is very thermostable which is crucial in biorefin-ing processes under high temperatures This makes it possible to exploit a much larger fraction of the plantsrsquo energy content
The discovery of the Aspergillus fungus and its revolution-ary enzyme has led to an important patent Further re-search is now being conducted on the biorefining potential of the fungus
Can a toilet fungus save the world
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
28 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Recirculation Research is to secure the nitrogen cycle
Smarter use of existing knowledge
The global nitrogen cycle is affected by our food production and systems and this has ad-verse impact on eco systems ground water bio diversity public health and global warming Enter Tommy Dalgaard and his team of researchers who are working on a model to serve as a tool for rebalancing the nitrogen cycle on a grand scale
Nitrogen occurs naturally in air soil and water
But the nitrogen cycle is not just a cyclical pro-
cess of nutrients in soil being taken up by plants
consumed by humans and animals and returned
to the soil as waste Nitrogen-based soil fertilisa-
tion is crucial for protein supply to the growing
number of domestic animals and humans and so
reducing nitrogen consumption is no easy task
So far many stakeholders ndash from farmers to food
producers and government authorities ndash have
tried to solve the nitrogen issues in isolation
For decades this has simply shifted the nitrogen
imbalance along making the problem even more
complex and perplexing
But there is every opportunity to change that
now Agro ecologist and senior researcher Tom-
my Dalgaard from Aarhus University heads the
strategic research alliance DNMARK which will
create a tool that makes it possible in practice
for all stakeholders to mitigate overconsumption
of nitrogen and hence the problem of pollution
from a collaborative holistic perspective Much
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research29
of the unnecessary use of nitrogen that cause
problems could be avoided if we pool our existing
know-how and technologies
Both too much and too little nitrogen are
not good
Ignorance about environmental tolerances and
the fertilisation requirements of individual soils
or management of production waste has resulted
in massive overconsumption which in turn has
caused the leaching of vast volumes of nitrogen
into aquatic environments Unnaturally high
concentrations of nitrogen have caused major
problems such as hypoxia in fjords and other
bodies of water in Denmark along with ground
water pollution Conversely every year farmers
sustain huge financial losses if nitrogen alloca-
tion is limited on otherwise hardy land where
more crop could be produced and of a higher
grade
The local farmer and the authorities who regu-
late farming may be well-intentioned but if the
farmer cannot determine how much nitrogen
each field requires or how much the environment
can tolerate then he is caught between a rock
and a hard place
Nitrogen comes from cities too
Farming is not the only piece in the nitrogen puzzle
cities and industrial production also impact the ni-
trogen cycle imbalance When industry processes
foods and consumers prepare food they discharge
high volumes of nitrogen to the air and water
In this way nitrogen is moved around in a large and
complex chain of concurrent processes We apply
nitrogen to farmland from where it is both leached
into aquatic environments and transferred to the
industry that produces foods
The problem is that from both industry and con-
sumers excessive amounts of nitrogen end up in
air discharge water and waste rather than being
returned to the soil and the plants which is why
Cooperation locally and globally
The imbalance in the nitrogen cycle is both a local and a global problem
The combined tool will illustrate to the farmers the differ-ence they can make if they join forces and involve other stakeholders in finding solutions The farmers can assess and decide on the solutions on their own
The companies that have joined the alliance will be able to commercialise the model and export it abroad
An increasing production of meat and a large consump-tion of animal products in countries with a growing middle class eg China necessitates holistic solutions USA is likewise seen as a potential user of the new tool
newly produced nitrogen has to be added again
All of which compounds the imbalance in a pretty
complex and confounding system
The solution is more complex than the
problem ndash yet viable
The DNMARK alliance aims to produce a specific
and holistic tool for achieving a smarter and
more sustainable nitrogen cycle in which nitro-
gen is recirculated for the benefit of the economy
environment and climate alike
ldquoWe need to apply the environmental technolo-
gies already available to usrdquo Tommy Dalgaard
explains ldquobut linked to each other That happens
to be a Danish strength ndash the ability to tackle
problems in every part of the chain This explains
why a great many partners have signed up to
the alliance The idea is to reinvent the system
by linking our needs know-how experience
technologies and then researching any gaps in
the chainrdquo
The modelling system and advisory concepts
Tommy Dalgaard and colleagues will be develop-
ing will be designed to spotlight the cost-benefit
of a range of initiatives and to spur coopera-
tion between the stakeholders The alliance is
made up of of Danish and foreign researchers
farmers municipalities advisers ministries and
enterprises
ldquoDenmark spotted the problems before the
others ndash wersquove been working on these problems
since the 1980s We just havenrsquot resolved them
yet The challenge is that we have to both reduce
nitrogen pollution while creating added valuerdquo
Tommy Dalgaard explains ldquoAnd we maintain that
both can be achieved that is producing more
while reducing environmental depletionrdquo bull
ldquoWe maintain that both can be achieved that is producing more while reducing environmental depletionrdquo
Tommy DalgaardAgro ecologist Senior Researcher
Aarhus University
Pho
to A
da
m H
ag
lun
d
Ma
scot
Po
lfoto
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Positive electrodes
Light absorbing layers
Negative electrodes
Solar cell modul
Glue
Plastic wrap with laser cutting
30 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Through participation in a stra-tegic research project on plastic solar cells Grafisk Maskin fabrik (GM) located in Birkeroslashd has developed new printing technolo-gies which are launching GM into a new market The new solar cells can be produced at low tem-peratures with inexpensive and readily available materials This has the potential to make plastic solar cells profitable ndash financially as well as environmentally
The future production of solar cells with existing
technology risks being thwarted by a lack of the
right materials and high production costs In the
recently concluded project ldquoPolymer solar cells
for solar energy conversionrdquo Professor Frederik
C Krebs from DTU is working to secure Denmark
broad and world-leading expertise within plastic
solar cells
ldquoWe have detailed knowledge of how to produce
the necessary materials the stability of plastic so-
lar cells and especially the methods for produc-
ing them under industrial conditions We got off to
a very early start with this technology and I feel
pretty certain that Denmark is a world leader in
the area However we wouldnrsquot be if it werenrsquot for
this research projectrdquo explains Frederik C Krebs
The solar cell printer
Plastic solar cells From under-performer to competitive technology
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research31
high-quality Chinese manufacturers Today GM
is one of a very few companies to offer this new
tech nology and that gives the company a huge
competitive edge
Production for the energy market
One characteristic of multi-year research projects
is a distinct difficulty in predicting just where the
research will lead However as Frederik C Krebs
notes this is the strength of research ldquoIn contrast
to GM EnergiMidt was involved from the very
outset ndash but it was too early they couldnrsquot play an
active role in the project at that timerdquo
At this time however the research is ready for the
next step A competitive plastic solar cell plant
requires the right combination of efficiency and
solar cell service life but this is a problem which
Frederik C Krebs expects to be resolved within
two years And so the power company Energi-
Midt is again involved only this time in a new pro-
ject ldquoNow the technology has evolved to a stage
where an actual power company would be a likely
candidaterdquo explains Frederik C Krebs bull
Research in solar energy
From 2004 to 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research has granted DKK 75 million to solar energy research
A total of 13 different research projects have been funded Of these two are Sino-Danish grants (DKK 87 million) and four are special SME grants (DKK 2 million) The remain-ing approx DKK 65 million has funded strategic research projects
The focus of one research area is on cheaper more ef-ficient solar cells including research into new materials
Another challenge in the area is how to integrate solar energy production in a bigger supply system ndash from single-family homes to large-scale distribution units
ldquoOriginally the plastic solar cell was an underper-
former but today its effect ndash that is itrsquos electricity
production ndash is catching up to that of traditional
solar cells Since they already have a smaller
eco-footprint and can also be produced much
faster and cheaper I think the prospects look very
promisingrdquo
The research matches new companies
A notable characteristic of this research pro-
ject has been the involvement of private-sector
companies from the outset However over time
the research developed in new directions and
other companies turned out to be a process and
production-related match with the research find-
ings and the materials used in the production of
plastic solar cells
The printing firm GM located in Birkeroslashd outside
Copenhagen develops advanced printing ma-
chines and thanks to the partnership with DTU
the companyrsquos CEO has managed to lead GM into
a new and much larger market ldquoOur production
plants suit the processes and the technology that
form the basis for the production of plastic solar
cells And within a relatively short space of time
we have developed a new high-tech product and
created brand new market opportunities beyond
those of our conventional printing machinesrdquo
Double the annual sales
Uffe Nielsen expects the companyrsquos sales of the
new products to double in the next financial year
ldquoWe are working with DTU on the development of a
smaller version that will cost a quarter of the price
of the current machine This will open up our new
markets even more But the most important thing
for our company is that this product enables us to
move into a new market in relation to our conven-
tional printing machinesrdquo
The traditional market is under a lot of pres-
sure and there is emergent competition from
ldquoWithin a relatively short space of time we have developed a new high-tech product and created brand new market opportunities beyond those of our conven-tional printing machinesrdquo
Uffe NielsenDirector Grafisk Maskinfabrik (GM)
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
32 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Welfare technology New options in medical care
Hospitalisation at home on the couch
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The research and innovation platform Patienthome is de-signed to increase the number of patients nursed in their own homes Domiciliary hospitalisa-tion provides enhanced patient well-being and reduces pressure on the hospitals The aims will be achieved through the devel-opment of new services and products
Imagine you fall ill and need to go to hospital But
instead of being admitted to hospital with all its
unfamiliar sounds alien routines and its stream
of new faces you are hospitalised in familiar
surroundings ndash in your own home The result
empowers patients with greater peace of mind
and self-determination while the hospitals can
prioritise their resources more efficiently
Patients receive quasi-hospital care in their
own homes on the recommendation of their GP
a home care nurse or the hospital The carefully
selected patients then have a special device
installed in their home to monitor their state of
health and for use in communicating with their
GP home care nurse or hospital specialist This
communication proceeds either via telemonitor-
ing or directly as video communication between
the parties involved making physical admission
to hospital unnecessary
ldquoDomiciliary hospital care is a huge benefit for
some types of patientsrdquo explains Uffe Kock Wiil
head of Patienthome ldquoBut it is also an advan-
tage for us as researchers and for healthcare
personnel it offers untold opportunities for
adopting new approaches and so allows us to
ldquoDomiciliary hospi-tal care is a huge benefit for some types of patientsrdquo Uffe Kock WiilHead of Patienthome
Pho
to P
atie
nt
ho
me
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
34 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
do our bit in coming up with new solutions for
patientsrdquo
One of the aims of Patienthome is to achieve
faster rehabilitation more extensive outpatient
care and hospital care for people in their own
homes Through an interdisciplinary public-
private partnership of healthcare personnel
patients private enterprises and research insti-
tutions Patienthome is developing a number
of new welfare-technology-driven products and
services to reduce both the number and dura-
tion of in-patient stays at Danish hospitals This
minimises pressure on the hospitalsrsquo financial
and human resources But equally it empowers
patients to engage actively and take responsibil-
ity for their own health
Letting the elderly stay at home
One of Patienthomersquos projects focuses on the
large number of patients in need of high-intensity
care who undergo recurrent hospitalisation
Sygehus Soslashnderjylland (Hospital of Southern
Jutland) attends to some 9500 citizens aged
65+ annually as emergency admissions This
corresponds to 60 per cent of all of the hospitalrsquos
medical admissions The project will consequent-
ly be trialling the options for monitoring patientsrsquo
clinical pathways across sectors and services in
order to reduce emergency (re)admissions while
strengthening the continuity of patient care
When a person is hospitalised in their own home
the monitoring is performed by the healthcare as-
sistant or home care nurse visiting the patient to
take readings using custom-installed equipment
This might be a blood pressure monitor or a pulse
oximeter to monitor the pulse and blood oxygen
saturation These monitoring devices commu-
nicate via a mobile device with a portal solution
which consolidates the latest data with existing
data on the patient
Via this portal the hospital clinician nurse and
other professionals responsible for the patient
have direct access to the data enabling them
to make important decisions without having to
obtain further information first This way the
patient avoids having to be needlessly admitted
for treatment while costly ndash and even life-saving
ndash time is saved
The project is also trialling preventive in-home
admissions Based on the values measured and
through domiciliary visits the health service can
intervene in time if a patientrsquos condition deterio-
rates but while the patient is still at home This
prevents needless emergency admissions
Red yellow green
Another way of reducing the number of hospital
admissions is to improve the basis for assessing
the patientsrsquo condition before they are admit-
ted A project at Odense University Hospital is
working on this very aspect The aim is to create
more precise models using monitoring and data
gathering in a joint database to ensure that the
right patients are admitted
How will this be achieved Almost all citizens admit-
ted as emergencies are initially triaged in an emer-
gency department Triage assigns the patients
to several categories from red through yellow to
green ndash depending on how critical their condi-
tion is Red-category patients are sent directly to
the hospitalrsquos trauma unit while yellow-category
patients are assigned to emergency rooms where
they are machine-monitored Green-category
patients are retriaged subsequently
ldquoReducing admissions not only spares the hos-
pitals People who are not critically ill are spared
needless admission with all the worries entailed
for them personally and their next of kinrdquo says
medical director at Odense University Hospital
Peder Jest ldquoBut it is also an advantage for us as
clinicians in that it gives us more time to focus
on patients who are seriously ill and in that way
improve care delivery to them and their experi-
ence as in-patientsrdquo
In this way the project will give healthcare pro-
fessionals new options for identifying patients
deteriorating clinically by monitoring vital signs
ie blood pressure pulse rate oxygen satura-
tion respiratory rate temperature and the like
The planned approach to this is to develop new
models which are more effective in predicting
and alerting personnel to potentially life-threat-
Patienthome
mdash Has received a SPIR grant of DKK 70m from The Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation and has a total budget of DKK 190mEUR 255m for the period 2012-18
mdash Is based at the University of Southern Denmark and has a large number of partners from both the public and private sectors
mdash Intends to develop 40 new welfare technology products and services and 100 prototypes
mdash Collaborates with 50 public-sector and private-sector partners in Denmark and internationally
mdash Involves 16 PhD students and postdoctoral students
ldquoReducing admissions not only spa-res the hospi-tals People who are not critically ill are spared need less admissionrdquo
Peder JestMedical director at
Odense University
Hospital
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Remote monitoring
The idea behind remote monitoring is that data from different measurements carried out at home electronically is transferred to a portal which gives remote health care staff access to the data
The device can also provide video communica-tion between the patient and the health care staff
The Danish Council for Strategic Research35
ening complications before they arise and con-
sequently increase the reliability of assessments
as to which patients must be admitted and which
can safely be discharged
A new Danish success story
This system of in-home medical care holds great
promise for both public-sector partners such as
hospitals regions and local authorities and the
private sector
ldquoThere is huge growth potential at stake for busi-
nesses that are ready to catch the ball and run
with itrdquo says Uffe Kock Wiil ldquoIn fact like the Dan-
ish wind turbine industry this could be a major
success story for Denmark if we continue to give it
priority and pool our effortsrdquo
As such Patienthome not only holds growth
potential for the public sector but also to a great
extent for the private sector bull
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
36 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
A tiny chip turned into three patents and three companies
Nanosensors From research projects to offshoot and startups
A strategic research project may branch out into multiple new offshoot research activities and spinout companies to market the research This is what Anja Boisen and her research team achieved In their research to develop sen-sors for detecting explosives they also came up with several other new technologies that are poised as game changers in several industries
ldquoIt all started at a conference in Trondheim
Norway with a newly developed chip from DTU
Nanotechrdquo recounts Anja Boisen professor at
the Department for Micro- and Nanotechnology
Technical University of Denmark - DTU Anja Boisen
enthuses about her research activities which
started with a modest invention capable of detect-
ing particles such as airborne explosives Later
this led to a much bigger and hugely successful
research project The discovery has huge potential
in demining or detecting explosives at airports
With the potentials inherent in bringing the
technology to market and the reliability required
by detection devices such as a minesweeper
Anja Boisenrsquos research team working under the
XSENSE strategic research project developed
Pho
to Filip
po
Bo
sco
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research37
four different techniques for detecting explosives
This resulted in a raft of new technologies with ap-
plications within a wide range of sectors
From eight to a thousand samples a second
Analysis of the components of airborne explo-
sives requires many sensitive measurements
and tests It certainly requires more than what
conventional laboratory equipment can muster
But at a chance meeting with researchers from
Taiwan the idea came up of using the technology
from a DVD player In this technique sample par-
ticles are placed on a rotating disc and a laser
head detects the samples optically Using this
technology the researchers can read a thousand
samples per second whereas before conven-
tional laboratory equipment would have let them
read no more than eight
This technology has now been patented and has
proved to have huge potential It also spawned yet
another strategic research project called MUSE
which refines the technology for reading and
analysing different samples The company Grund-
fos is involved in developing the technique for
detection of hormones in water and the company
Virogates is looking at the technique in connection
with analysis of biomarkers in blood Meanwhile
the company Unisensor is involved in development
of the technology itself
Nanograss
Another technology developed under the XSENSE
project is the so-called nanograss substrate
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor produced
by etching into a silicon plate This results in a
grass-like structure When this substrate comes
into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo
trap the molecules by leaning towards each other
in clusters
This permits recognition and analysis of any
molecules the plate comes into contact with The
nanograss substrate is cheap to mass-produce
requiring only two production phases The new
startup Silmeco has put the technology into pro-
duction so that companies and universities can
purchase the nanograss substrates for processes
such as gas measurement
As for the original explosives detector Anja Boisen
and her research team are still working to enhance
the product and bring it to market The final prod-
uct will most likely combine two or three of the de-
veloped sensors for optimum reliability However
the research team still needs a major commercial
partner in order to break through into the market
and commercialise an actual minesweeper
From explosives to DVD technology strategic research is evolving
Anja Boisenrsquos research is a good example of how a strate-gic research project develops new technology and spins out companies for production and marketing
The project has given rise tomdash Three patentsmdash A new company startup ndash and two more in the offingmdash A new strategic research project called MUSE on the
application of DVD technology for reading laboratory samples
Nanograss
Nanograss is a fluid and gas sensor which is produced by etching into a silicon plate This results in a grass-like structure When this substrate comes into contact with a fluid or gas the silicon lsquostrawsrsquo trap the molecules by lean-ing towards each other in clusters
Drive and nerve
Anja Boisen explains that the project has taught
the research team to think out of the box and to
ally themselves with experts they might not other-
wise have collaborated with ldquoThis entire journey
which started with explosives is probably not
over yet The sensors we have developed have not
yet been combined in the package we originally
envisaged That said the individual sensors
have major potential in their own right within a
wide range of areas such as in the food industry
Research discoveries and technological break-
throughs are often chance eventsrdquo
One essential component in strategic research
partnerships is to involve businesses in the pro-
jects ldquoItrsquos vital to involve companies closely in the
research activities as early as possible and try to
catch their interestrdquo stresses Anja Boisen ldquoYou
have to keep asking them which research results
they are interested inrdquo
From the scientistrsquos perspective gearing re-
search to product enhancement and manufactur-
ing in partnership with industry is never going
to be plain sailing It is a major step to take and
there are many pitfalls ldquoSome of what yoursquore re-
searching may not turn out as expected or might
even come to nothing As a researcher you need
huge drive nerve and unfailing curiosityrdquo says
Anja Boisen
So far Anja Boisenrsquos research has been im-
mensely successful resulting in three patents
a spinout while another two startups are in the
offing Added to this is the support for numerous
new research and proof of concept projects But
the research is continuing ndash because there is no
knowing what the least discovery might lead to bull
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
38 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
The unruliness of research
User-oriented follow-up Flexibility promotes progress
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research39
Whenever new concepts are re-fined they rarely go by the book This is true of both research and innovation How to ensure that research projects deliver on their promise if the assumptions on which they were based change along the way For the Danish Council for Strategic Research the answer is user-oriented follow-up
For a decade the Danish Council for Strategic
Research has been making grants for research
to solve challenges in society But research is a
complex process with many stakeholders and for
which no precise and advance definition can be
made of the individual steps This is particularly
true of solutions-oriented research which is predi-
cated on interdisciplinarity and partnerships and
alliances with the private sector and public-sector
institutions So how to strike the right balance
between risk-taking and investment supervision
when the funded research projects often stretch
over four to five years
ldquoA research project tends to evolve a great deal
while ongoingrdquo says Jacob Buur professor at the
University of Southern Denmark and head of SPIRE
Soslashnderborg Participatory Innovation Research
Centre The centre was launched in 2008 with fund-
ing from the Danish Council for Strategic Research
and Jacob Buur greatly appreciated that follow-up
on the grant was flexible and farsighted
Innovation happens along the way
ldquoResearch like innovation happens between peo-
ple We noticed that personally when a researcher
left the project and we had to replace himrdquo Jacob
Buur recounts ldquoIt is rarely possible to find new
people who are a perfect match for the original po-
sition but in that situation we were encouraged by
the Council to see it as an opportunity to realign the
project to match the new researcherrsquos expertiserdquo
For Jacob Buur user-oriented follow-up means
so much because he happens to do research in
user-driven innovation Originally SPIRE intended
to research how users can aid innovation within
enterprises but along the way the project was
enlarged to include innovation among employees
within enterprises
ldquoIt was surprising to discover that the more dif-
ferent stakeholders are involved the better the
resultrdquo says Jacob Buur ldquoThis made the process
more difficult but yielded better results Inno-
vation is socially shaped This is a rethinking of
innovation based on people rather than objectsrdquo
This is why Jacob Buur also appreciates that the
Councilrsquos follow-up was based on the research and
the people involved in it so that the project could
evolve along the way
Flexibility is a necessity
The Danish Council for Strategic Research oper-
ates a policy of conducting follow-up on the re-
search projectrsquos own terms As Jacob Buur puts it
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot de-
fine the route to a specific end-product in advance
The Council has focused on the progress made
by the research rather than strict management
according to a predefined plan and this has given
us an ideal framework for making the most of any
windows of opportunity that presented themselves
in the course of the researchrdquo
The fact that SPIRE found this approach success-
ful for research is borne out by an evaluation
conducted by an international panel of experts in
2013 The evaluation highlights that the research-
ers were proactive and seized the opportunities
that presented themselves along the way This pro-
duces better results ndash for the benefit of companies
and society alike bull
The Danish Council for Strategic Researchs policy on follow-up
The awarding programme commission follows the project from beginning to end and must approve any material changes made along the way
The project is monitored through annual mid-term and final research reports
Meetings are held ad hoc between the programme com-mission and the grant-holder
During the grant period the grant-holder is free to contact the programme commission
ldquoIt is inherently true of research that you canrsquot define the route to a specific end-product in advancerdquo
Jacob BuurProfessor at University of Southern Denmark
and head of the research centre SPIRE
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
DKK millions Number of PhDs
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
Per cent DKK millions
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
20
15
10
5
0
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
20042005
20062007
20082009
20102011
20132012
40 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Key figures2004ndash2013
Total grants
Grants awarded by the Danish Council for Strate-
gic Research do not entirely follow the National
Budget allocations as some applications are con-
sidered in the year preceding allocation of funds
under the National Budget In 2013 the Council
awarded grants to 33 strategic research centres
alliances and projects totalling DKK 619 million
Success rate
The success rate meaning the percentage of
total amounts applied for that were granted by
the Council ranged from 13 to 28 per cent
Average grant size
The average size of grant in 2013 was
DKK 188 million
Research training
The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-
funds a large number of PhD programmes The
number of PhDs is the total number of PhD fellow-
ships within the funded research activity
Including SPIR but ex cluding international grants Please refer to the separate breakdown for international grants
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
41 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
What has beenfunded 2004ndash2013
Over the decade of its existence the Danish
Council for Strategic Research has granted in the
region of DKK 65 billion to strategic research
The figure shows how the funding breaks down
across strategic themes ndash determined on the
basis of annual grant figures
Energy 25
Environm
ent 6
Climate
and clim
ate a
daption 1
Health and
disease 15
Food 26
Ed
uca
tio
n 2
Cul
ture
and
soc
iety
4
Transport and infrastructure 3
Strategic growth
technologies
18
Peace a
nd confl
ict 0
2
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
42 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Board and organisation
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-
posed of a Board of Directors and a variable num-
ber of programme commissions In 2013-2014
the Council was composed of a board whose
members are listed below and the programme
commissions shown in the organisation chart
Vice-Dean professor Birthe Hoslashgh
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Professor Ole Lehrmann Madsen
Department of Computer Sciences
Aarhus University and Director
Alexandra Institute Ltd
Dean professor Per Michael
Johansen Faculty of Engineering
University of Southern Denmark
The Board
ChairProfessor Peter Olesen
Director ActiFoods ApS
Vice-chairDean Mette Thunoslash
Faculty of Arts
Aarhus University
Professor Frede Blaabjerg
Department of Energy
Technology Aalborg University
Vice President
Anne Skriver
Chr Hansen AS
Senior Advisor
Svend Erik Soslashrensen
Danish Crown AmbA
Head of Department
Helle Westphal
DHI Denmark
Bo
ard
Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment
Programme Commission on Individuals Disease and Society
Programme Commission on Health Food and Welfare
Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies
Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure
Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Re-search funds research within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes annual allocations In 2013 the Council awarded funding worth a total of approximately DKK 700m
Funding recipients 2013
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
44 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Energy and environment mdash energy systems of the future
CTEC ndash Center for thermoelectric energy conversionProfessor Bo Brummerstedt Iversen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 248m
(total budget DKK 360m)
SEMPEL ndash Semiconductor materials for power electronicsProfessor Kjeld Pedersen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 236m
(total budget DKK 293m)
H2CAP ndash Hydrogen assisted catalytic biomass pyrolysis for green fuelsProfessor Anker Degn Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 144m
(total budget DKK 179m)
NomiGas ndash Novel microbiological platform for optimization of biogas productionProfessor Per Halkjaeligr Nielsen
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 232m
(total budget DKK 305m)
ABYSS ndash Advancing BeYond Shallow waterS ndash Optimal design of offshore wind turbine support structuresSenior researcher Jesper Mathias Stolpe
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 216m
(total budget DKK 275m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Sus-
tainable Energy and Environment awarded
approx DKK 300m to 14 grants for strategic
research under the themes of ldquoEnergy and
environment ndash energy systems of the futurerdquo
and ldquoEnvironmental technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a
sustainable growth economy and switching to
energy and transport systems wholly based on
renewable energy by 2050 in which the reliabil-
ity of energy supply climate and environmental
considerations and cost-efficiency are the main
pillars The challenge consists of developing
energy-efficient intelligent and climate-friendly
technologies capable of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions and other forms of pollution and
of reducing dependence on fossil fuels and in so
doing also improving reliability of supply
The research shall promote improvements
in which economic growth does not result in
increasing negative environmental impacts and
where the focus is on a renewable intelligent and
environmentally sustainable energy system Re-
search efforts must also support the capacity for
business and industry to capitalise on the major
future market potentials in the field of climate
energy and environment
Programme Commision onSustainable Energyand Enviroment
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research45
Environmental technology
GEOCON ndash Advancing GEOlogical geophysi-cal and CONtaminant monitoring technolo-gies for contaminated site investigationProfessor Poul Loslashgstrup Bjerg
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 151m
(total budget DKK 244m)
BUFFERTECH ndash Optimization of ecosystem services provided by buffer strips using novel technological methodsProfessor Knud Brian Kronvang
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 149m
(total budget DKK 213m)
Wind2050 ndash Multidisciplinary study on local acceptance and development of wind power projects Senior researcher Kristian Borch
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 199m
(total budget DKK 236m)
UniTTe ndash Unified testing procedures for wind turbines through inflow characterisation using nacelle lidarsResearcher Rozenn Wagner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 138m
(total budget DKK 194m)
CITIES ndash Centre for IT-intelligent energy systems in citiesProfessor Henrik Madsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 440m
(total budget DKK 706m)
C3BO ndash Center for BioOilProfessor Lasse Aistrup Rosendahl
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 218m
(total budget DKK 300m)
CINEMA ndash Alliance for imaging and modelling of energy applications Professor Henning Friis Poulsen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 228m
(total budget DKK 450m)
THERMCYC ndash Advanced thermodynamic cycles utilising low-temperature heat sources Associate professor Brian Elmegaard
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 215m
(total budget DKK 309m)
HyDrive ndash Hydrostatic drive train transmis-sion for renewable energy applicationsProfessor Torben Ole Andersen
Aalborg University
Grant 192 mio kr
(total budget DKK 248m)
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
46 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Connection between food health and lifestyle
HAPFAM ndash Healthy and affordable protein rich foods for African marketsProfessor Jacob Holm Nielsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 255m)
StrucSat ndash How structure affects satietyProfessor Richard Ipsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 238m)
OliGram ndash Design and gramscale enzymatic synthesis of human milk oligosaccharidesAssociate professor Peter Stougaard
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 118m
(total budget DKK 155m)
LIFE-DNP ndash hyperpolarized magnetic resonance for in vivo quantification of lipid sugar and amino acid metabolism in lifestyle-related diseasesProfessor Hans Stoslashdkilde-Joslashrgensen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 174m
(total budget DKK 339m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Health Food and Welfare awarded approx
DKK 147m to 9 grants for strategic research
under the themes of ldquoConnection between
food health and lifestylerdquo and ldquoFoodrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Global changes in the natural environment and
the climate but also in societal and economic
dimensions are posing a mounting challenge
in securing adequate supplies of food feed
energy materials and water for the growing
world population There is consequently a need to
develop more efficient and competitive biological
production that promotes health the production
of appetising quality foods consumer protec-
tion animal welfare and a clean environment and
which in combination serve to realise the goals
defined within sustainable production
Realisation of this vision holds considerable
societal and commercial potential not least in the
international arena and will thereby be a signifi-
cant driver for growth and development
Programme Commision onHealth Food andWelfare
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research47
Food
PIGVAC ndash A plant-produced immuno- enhanced pig vaccine against PRRSProfessor Finn Skou Pedersen
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 195m)
(MiCroP) ndash Microbial biofertilizers for enhanced crop availability of phosphorus pools in soil and waste ndash novel strategies for sustainable bio-based food productionAssociate professor Ole Nybroe
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 193m
(total budget DKK 251m)
BRCC ndash Restricting the pathogenic effect on barley of the endophytic fungus Ramularia collo-cygniAssociate professor Elena Simona Radutoiu
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 152m
(total budget DKK 198m)
Keratin2Protein ndash Novel approach to protein recovery from unutilized slaughterhouse waste through microbial conversionProfessor Soslashren Johannes Soslashrensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 133m
(total budget DKK 211m)
REWARD ndash Reuse of water in the food and bioprocessing industriesProfessor Soslashren Balling Engelsen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 178m
(total budget DKK 262m)
The Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research and The Danish Council for Technology and Innovation
Future production systems
MADE ndash Platform for Future ProductionAssociation MADE (Manufacturing Academy of
Denmark) represented by Chair of the Board
Innovation Director Lars R Enevoldsen
Grant DKK 640m hereof
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
DKK 390m
The Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation DKK 250m
(Total budget DKK 1840m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search and the Danish Council for Technology
and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 640m
for a SPIR under the theme ldquoFuture production
systemsrdquo
SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and
Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-
tive for business and industry to participate in
research and development activities with the
Danish universities approved technological
service institutes and other enterprises and in-
novation stakeholders
SPIR
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
48 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Health research
NOCRC ndash Novel CRC screening tools improve survival and cost-effectivenessProfessor Torben Falck Oslashrntoft
Aarhus University Hospital
Grant DKK 200m
(total budget DKK 351m)
FOETALforNCD ndash Foetal exposure and epidemiological transition the role of anaemia in early life for non-communicable diseases in later lifeProfessor Ib Christian Bygbjerg
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 179m
(total budget DKK 222m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Indi-
viduals Disease and Society awarded a total
of approx DKK 38m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoHealth researchrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Denmark faces a number of challenges in the
health area Disease causes great distress for
the individual and health service spending is of
great economic significance Patients must be
assured of a high standard of treatment and the
organisation of the health service must guaran-
tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment
The challenge consists both of preventing
disease and of individualising the treatment
of patients Only through individualised treat-
ment is it possible to progress to the next stage
of development and avoid the consequences of
overmedication and mismedication injury and
damage side effects and high costs for both the
individual and society
Programme Commision on Individuals Disease and Society
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research49
Energy efficient transport
ACEMU ndash Advanced components for electro-mobility usageProfessor Remus Teodorescu
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 73m
(total budget DKK 82m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 44m has been
awarded to LithiumBalance AS from EUDP En-
ergy Technology Development and Demonstra-
tion Program Contact Project coordinator and
CEO Lars Barkler
GREENSHIP ndash Green Liner ShippingProfessor David Pisinger
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 75m
(total budget DKK 102m)
In connection to this grant a development and
demonstration grant of DKK 11m has been
awarded to Maersk Line from EUDP Energy
Technology Development and Demonstration
Program Contact Project coordinator and Head
of BI Business Partnering Jan Voetmann
In 2013 the Programme Commission on
Transport and Infrastructure awarded a total
of approx DKK 15m to 2 grants for strategic
research under the theme of ldquoEnergy efficient
transportrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
Transport systems are a vital nerve of modern
society and the transportation of people and
goods by road sea and air is increasing and is
expected to continue to do so in future The chal-
lenge consists of reducing the transport sectorrsquos
negative climate and environmental impacts bal-
anced with the commitment to ensuring economic
growth and increasing mobility
There are a number of challenges eg as
regards the negative environmental impacts of
transportation energy efficiency coordination
and long-term integration of urban and rural
areas and provision for more remote parts of
the country Research efforts in this area should
contribute to developing and future-proofing
transport and infrastructure systems designed to
reduce pollution congestion and transportation
times by cost-efficient means
Programme Commision onTransport and Infrastructure
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
50 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
Nano- and biotechnology and information and communication technology
CIBIS ndash Creativity in blended interaction spacesProfessor Kim Halskov
Aarhus University
Grant DKK 160m
(total budget DKK 253m)
GPCR-Nanoscreen ndash Nanoscale high content analysis assays for G protein coupled receptorsProfessor Dimitrios Stamou
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 229m
(total budget DKK 336m)
EXMAD ndash Extreme sensitive magnetometry using nitrogen-vacancy centers in diamondProfessor Ulrik Lund Andersen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 139m
(total budget DKK 190m)
Neuro247 ndash Neurotechnology for 247 mental state monitoringProfessor Lars Kai Hansen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 68m
(total budget DKK 76m)
MorphoMap ndash Genome-scale mapping of signaling networks underlying cell migrationProfessor Rune Linding
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 201m
(total budget DKK 263m)
In 2013 the Programme Commission on Stra-
tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total
of approx DKK 80m to 5 grants for strategic
research under the theme ldquoNanotechnology
biotechnology and information and communi-
cation technologyrdquo
Significant societal challenges in this
research area
The development and application of new tech-
nologies such as nanotechnology biotechnology
synthesis biology materials technology and
information and communication technology are
key drivers of productivity improvements and
economic growth generally
The challenge lies in developing and applying the
technologies for the development of new innova-
tive and competitive products and processes
while instilling public confidence in the use of new
technologies At the same time the technologies
may potentially pave the way for new solutions
to key challenges facing society in areas such as
energy food environment health and education
while they may also form the basis for commercial
development Moreover combining technologies
holds great potential in relation to eg the devel-
opment of the bio-based economy
Programme Commision onStrategic Growth Technologies
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research51
Cooperation with India within health science biotechnology
DISC-B ndash Denmark-India in vivo screen for cancer biomarkersProfessor Stephen Michael Cohen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 123m)
VICYDIP ndash The role of epigenetics in the vicious cycle of diabetes and pregnancy Professor Allan Vaag
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 46m
(total budget DKK 76m)
Cooperation with South Korea within environmental friendly bioenergy production and energy carries and conversion
BioCap ndash Bioenergy production from residual biomass through a novel integrated carbon chain pathway Associate professor Birgir Norddahl
University of Southern Denmark
Grant DKK 50m
(total budget DKK 56m)
KDFuelCell ndash Components and materials for electrochemical energy conversionAssociate professor Jens Oluf Jensen
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 65m
(total budget DKK 87m)
Cooperation with Brazil within food science
BioSyn ndash Bioactive components from by-products of food processing used in a syn-biotic approach for improving human health and well-beingProfessor Lene Jespersen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 33m
(total budget DKK 43m)
IMPCON ndash IMProved quality of cultured fish for human CONsumptionAssociate professor Niels Ole Gerslev Joslashrgensen
University of Copenhagen
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 57m)
Cooperation with China within sustainable and renewable energy
iDClab ndash Intelligent DC micro-grid living labProfessor Josep M Guerrero
Aalborg University
Grant DKK 49m
(total budget DKK 54m)
PROAIN ndash PROActive INtegration of sustain-able energy resources enabling active distribution networksSenior researcher Henrik William Bindner
Technical University of Denmark
Grant DKK 51m
(total budget DKK 66m)
In 2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search granted approx DKK 40m for bilat-
eral cooperation with the growth economies
China South Korea Brazil and India The
funding was awarded by the programme
commissions within the respective areas
Bilateral grants
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
52 The Danish Council for Strategic Research
ERA-net Human Infectious Diseases (ERA-Infect)
HCV-ASSEMBLY ndash Identification of host fac-tors involved in Hepatitis C virus assembly and characterization of their potential role in vivo Professor Jens Bukh
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 29m
(total European budget DKK 228m)
Joint Programming Initiative Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPI-JPND)
RiMod-FTD ndash Risk and modifying factors in frontotemporal dementiaProfessor Albin Gustav Sandelin
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 13m
(total European budget DKK 248m)
APGeM ndash Pre-clinical genotype-phenotype predictors of Alzheimerrsquos disease and other dementiaProfessor Leif Oslashstergaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 129m)
ERA-net Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)
DeYeastLibrary ndash Designer yeast strain library optimized for metabolic engineering applicationsProfessor Jochen Foumlrster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 115m)
IPCRES ndash Integrated process and cell re-factoring systems for enhanced industrial biotechnologyAssociate professor Mhairi Workman
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 34m
(total European budget DKK 16m)
ProSeCa ndash Recovery of high value proteins from serum by innovative direct capture techniquesAssociate professor Timothy John Hobley
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 3m
(total European budget DKK 178m)
The Danish Council for Strategic Research
participates in a number of joint European
research collaborations ndash BONUS ERA-nets
and Joint Programming Initiatives In 2013
the Council awarded approx DKK 59m to Dan-
ish participants in joint European projects
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the
BONUS programme
JointEuropean grants
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The Danish Council for Strategic Research53
BONUS ndash Viable Ecosystems
INSPIRE ndash Integrating spatial processes into ecosystem models for sustainable utilization of fish resources Head of section Stefan Neuenfeldt
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 49m
(total European budget DKK 308m)
BIO-C3 ndash Biodiversity changes ndash causes consequences and management implicationsHead of innovation ecology and aquaculture
Anne Lise Middelboe DHI
Director general Friedrich Wilhelm Koumlster
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 61m
(total European budget DKK 487m)
COCOA ndash Nutrient COcktail in the COAstal zones of the Baltic Sea Professor Niels Jacob Carstensen
Aarhus University
Professor Colin Andrew Stedmon
Technical University of Denmark
Danish grant DKK 70m
(total European budget DKK 331m)
Soils2Sea ndash Reducing nutrient loadings from agricultural soils to the Baltic Sea via groundwater and streams Professor Jens Christian Refsgaard GEUS
Professor Joslashrgen Eivind Olesen
Aarhus University
CEO Hubert de Jonge SORBISENSE AS
Danish grant DKK 112m
(total European budget DKK 246m)
CHANGE ndash Changing antifouling practices for leisure boats in the Baltic SeaProfessor Helle Tegner Anker
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 294m)
BLUEPRINT ndash Biological lenses using gene printsAssociate professor Lasse Riemann
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 87m
(total European budget DKK 334m)
ERA-net European Phytosani-tary Research Coordination 2 (EUPHRESCO 2)
EPITRIX ndash Epitrix species life cycle studies and diagnostics Senior researcher Annie Enkegaard
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 20m)
Q-WOODCHIP ndash Diagnostics and risk management of plant health threats in wood chips for bio-energySenior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Senior researcher Mogens Nicolaisen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 19m
(total European budget DKK 32m)
MONOCHAMUS ndash Focusing on Monochamus spp insect vectors of Bursaphelenchus xylophilusAssociate professor Lise Stengaringrd Hansen
Aarhus University
Senior researcher Hans Peter Ravn
University of Copenhagen
Danish grant DKK 09m
(total European budget DKK 14m)
ERA-net Animal Health and Welfare (ANIHWA)
FareWellDockSenior researcher Lene Juul Pedersen
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 11m
(total European budget DKK 212m)
SporeBiotic ndash Control of Clostridium difficile an emerging threat to the European livestock industrySenior researcher Ole Hoslashjberg
Aarhus University
Danish grant DKK 18m
(total European budget DKK 122m)
EU funds half of the Danish grant within the BONUS programme Funded by The Danish Council for Independant Research | Natural Sciences
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
A decade of strategic research
In the period 2004ndash2013 the Danish Council for Strategic Research granted DKK 65 billion for research geared to solving challenges in society Recipients of funding included
The use of sensor technologies such as laser altim-
etry has made it possible to collect vast volumes
of detailed terrain data for potential applications
such as analysis of flooding and erosion risk The
problem is that the data volumes for collection are
so large that it is often impossible to analyse them
within a reasonable timeframe
The project rdquoEfficient Handling of Massive Hetero-
geneous Terrain Datardquo has consequently devel-
oped new algorithms capable of handling massive
terrain data sets on ordinary computers The
software company SCALGO is one of the outcomes
of the project and its software has been used in
several projects such as one to predict regions in
Denmark at risk of flooding as a result of sea-level
rise and extreme precipitation
The project rdquoThe educational potential of com-
mercial computer gaming technologyrdquo researched
computer gaming technology as an educational
resource Gaming scenarios were found not only
to enhance acquisition of facts but also identifi-
cation of consequences and correlations during
gameplay The projectrsquos prototype was a computer
game on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict where the
aim was for school pupils to identify with the par-
ties to the conflict and apply their understanding to
daily news reports
One outcome of the research conducted by this
project was the creation of the Serious Games
Interactive company in 2006 The company now
has branches in Denmark and the US and designs
educational games for a large number of different
clients such as Amnesty International the National
Museum of Denmark Maersk Siemens and the
World Bank Meanwhile research is still ongoing
on the application of ldquoserious gamesrdquo in learning
contexts and the participants have subsequently
participated in several EU-funded research pro-
jects in this field
Handling of large data sets (2006ndash2010) Better algorithms
Serious games (2005ndash2006) Computer games in teaching
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Danish Obesity Research Centre (DanORC) re-
ceived one of the first grants made to a research
centre by the Danish Council for Strategic Re-
search DanORC started out by researching how
specific dietary components regardless of their
calorific value increase the propensity for obe-
sity and complications such as type 2 diabetes
and cardiovascular disease Following the end of
the original grant period DanORC has continued
as a de-institutionalised national research centre
in the field of obesity research
The interdisciplinary research centre is the set-
ting for collaboration between four universities
eight hospitals and a number of private-sector
stakeholders such as Arla (dairy) and Chr
Hansen (ingredients) on the causes of obesity
and the development of healthy foods Besides
medical epidemiological biological and nutrition
research DanORC has also conducted historical
studies of diets in the previous century in order to
account for the modern-day obesity epidemic
Intercultural communication and collabora-
tion within multinational groups is increasingly
daily fare for businesses and national education
systems In this arena the project ldquoCultural Intel-
ligence as a Strategic Resourcerdquo has researched
how businesses and educational institutions may
gain cultural intelligence that is assimilate cul-
tural diversity among different employee groups
One branch of the project interviewed 300 Danish
and Asian senior and middle managers from
Danish companies with divisions in Asia (includ-
ing Carlsberg and Ecco) A typical challenge in
Danish-Asian collaboration is presented by dif-
ferences in perceptions of authority which is why
the project offers different recommendations for
organisational approaches to making the most of
cultural diversity
Danish Obesity Research Centre (2007ndash2011) Why are we becoming overweight
Global partnerships (2008ndash2011) Cultural intelligence
How do human activities and natural fluctuation
impact each other in terms of climate change
The answer has been mapped by Centre for
Regional Change in the Earth System (CRES) in
a multidisciplinary joint scientific platform to
provide a coherent picture of uncertainties and
regional details in scenarios for the climate of the
future The platform combines scientific studies
in hydrology agriculture coasts extreme rain
drought sea-level rise and societal factors
CRES researchers have made a powerful contri-
bution to the climate change debate in Denmark
and at international summits and conferences
In August 2014 CRES will host the Third Nordic
International Conference on Climate Change
Adaptation where researchers practitioners and
policy-makers will meet to discuss how the Nordic
countries can best adapt to climate change
Each year millions of lives worldwide are
threatened by sepsis Yet there is next to no sci-
ence behind the medical interventions routinely
undertaken to treat weak acutely ill patients in
intensive care
The research project ldquoNew strategies for life-sav-
ing interventions in patients with severe sepsisrdquo
investigated the two types of resuscitation fluids
traditionally given to patients with sepsis starch-
based or saline solutions
The starch-based resuscitation fluid was found
to result in increased mortality and a higher rate
of complications The project has consequently
developed a new method for treating sepsis
which has already been introduced in a number of
European countries ndash and it saves lives
Centre for Regional Change in the Earth System (2009-2014) Connecting climate knowledge
Clinical research saves lives (2010ndash2015) Starch or saline
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Cycling benefits both the environment and hu-
man health ndash and the Danes are a nation of keen
cyclists But what determines whether or not we
hit the pedals This question was studied by the
interdisciplinary Bikeability project drawing on
a combination of research-based insights into
transport urban planning and public health
The project studies who cycles how much they
cycle how cycling has changed over time and
how urban design and infrastructure influence
the national passion for cycling Green environs
few stops long cycle lanes and improved bicycle-
parking facilities all serve to promote cycling
The projectrsquos results were presented at a major
conference on ldquoTaking Cycling Seriouslyrdquo in the
Danish Parliament building in January 2014 at-
tended by the Danish Minister for Transport
and are otherwise publicised by sources such
as the Danish Cyclist Federationrsquos website at
wwwcykelvidendk
Our farmland is failing to keep up with demand
for food feed and other products sustainably and
on a sufficient scale So why not turn to marine
resources The MAB3 biorefinery has risen to this
challenge and will be converting the biomass
in seaweeds like sugar kelp and oarweed into
products such as fish feed and biofuel
The vision is for the biorefinery to help facilitate
the switch from dependence on fossil carbons and
mineral fertiliser to the use of sustainable carbon
and nitrogen from sources such as plant biomass
Concurrent with actual production the plant is
researching sustainable methods for ldquomarine
farmingrdquo involving the cultivation of seaweed
Bikeability (2010ndash2013) Taking cycling seriously
MAB3 (2012ndash2016) A seaweed biorefinery
Keen to read more research stories
Visit wwwstrategiskforskningdken and search
among the 450 research projects alliances and
centres that have received funding from the
Council since 2004
wwwstrategiskforskningdken
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Foto
Trine
Bu
kh
Secretariat
The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish
Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
The secretariat will be pleased to provide
further information concerning the individual
programmes and Danish strategic research in
general
The website at wwwfivudkdcsr provides
contact details for individual members of staff
by specialist area
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
Lund University
Norwegian University of Science
and Technology
University of California
Chinese Academy of Sciences
ETH Zuumlrich
University of Satildeo Paulo
Chalmers University of Technology
Stanford University
Delft University of Technology
Harvard University
Karolinska HospitalInstitute
128
866655444
The count includes the Councilrsquos ordinary grants Strategic Platforms for Innovation and Research (SPIR) and bilateral grants Grants awarded to multilateral European cooperation programmes are not included
USA
Brazil
Norway
UK
Switzerland
The Netherlands
Most popular partner institutions mdash number of projects participated in
66
44
24
20
14
13
International collaboration strengthens Danish research The projects granted funding between 2010 and 2013 involve more than 300 different partners from 36 different countries en-gaged in binding collaboration The partners comprise prestig-ious universities international companies and specialised re-search institutions
The numbers on the map indi-cate the number of cooperation agreements with partners in the ten most popular countries for co operation in grants awarded 2010ndash2013
International collaboration
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
The BONUS programme aims to strengthen
strategic research partnerships and in-
novation between the Baltic Sea countries
targeting the protection of Baltic Sea
ecosystems Danish applicants have been
very successful in the programmersquos first
call and funding has been granted to pro-
jects concerning biodiversity sustainable
fisheries the adverse impacts of nutrient
discharges from agriculture and yacht hull
antifouling treatments
The Danish-Brazilian IMBICONT (Improved
biological control for Integrated Pest
Management in fruits and berries) project
is researching new biological methods for
controlling pests such as spider mites aphids
and weevils which wreak havoc in fruit and
berry production The project is concentrating
on Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus
fruit ndash and apples in both countries By com-
bining the expertise and methods of different
countries the researchers are able to achieve
more than they could working isolated
India
China
Germany
Sweden
Children with clinical obesity tend to suffer
poor quality of life and a number of compli-
cations such as elevated blood pressure
enlargement of the liver and type 2 diabetes
The BIOCHILD project is studying 4600 Indian
and 1500 Danish children to establish the
underlying causes of child obesity
The unique combination of resources from
India and Denmark will make it possible to
identify a number of biomarkers for use in
subclassification of childhood obesity
The project rdquoActivating the Building Construc-
tion for Building Environmental Controlrdquo was
among the first three projects granted fund-
ing under the Sino-Danish bilateral research
cooperation programme launched in 2009
The project ndash which has seen a very close
collaboration between Danish and Chinese
partners ndash has developed a promising proto-
type for a brand new type of heat pump which
combines heating airconditioning and heat
recovery with ventilation and air purifica-
tion Given the ongoing large-scale replace-
ment of the Chinese housing stock and major
problems with air quality in Chinese cities the
heat pump holds great commercial potential
The Danish-South Korean research project
KDFuelCells aims to develop better and lower-
cost components for high-temperature (HT)
PEM fuel cells The HT-PEM fuel cells have
applications in cars standby generators and
concurrent power production in and heating
of homes The HT-PEM fuel cell technology is
one of Denmarkrsquos cutting-edge leads while
South Korea also has strong research environ-
ments in the field Alongside research in the
field commercial companies are now working
to bring the fuel cells to market
Alliance for improved Baltic Sea ecosystems
Danish strawberries and Brazilian citrus fruit
Childhood obesity in Denmark and India
2 in 1 Sino-Danish heat recovery pump and clean-air unit
South Korea-project promises better lower-cost fuel cells
51
47
32
14
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk
ContactSecretariat of the Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
Bredgade 40
DK-1260 Copenhagen K
Telephone +45 3544 6200
Fax +45 3544 6201
dsffidk
wwwfivudkdcsr
PublisherThe Danish Council for Strategic Research
Danish Agency for Science Technology and Innovation
March 2014
Design e-Types Daily
Printed by CoolGray
Circulation 1000
ISSN 2245-3172
ISSN (online) 2245-3245
This publication is available on the website of
the Danish Council for Strategic Research at
wwwfivudkdcsr
The print version of this publication is supplied
free of charge while stocks last on application to
Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk
wwwrosendahls-schultzgrafiskdk