Aarhus University appoints seven researchers to lead the way on innovation
Seven distinguished researchers have been appointed Distinguished Senior Innovators. They will serve as ambassadors for knowledge-based innovation and tackle global challenges in climate, health, and technology.
From tackling infertility, muscular dystrophy, and cancer to developing climate technologies and advancing gender equality.
Aarhus University has appointed the first seven researchers to its Distinguished Senior Innovators (DSI) research and innovation programme – the first of its kind in Denmark.
The newly appointed Distinguished Senior Innovators will not only conduct ground-breaking research, but also lead the way in showing how academic excellence and innovation can go hand in hand. As ambassadors for research-driven innovation, they will demonstrate what can be achieved when deep academic insight meets an entrepreneurial mindset.
“We can clearly see the commitment and determination of these seven researchers to make a difference through the DSI programme. They will be powerful drivers of innovation in the broadest sense. We want to show that excellent research can create value both within the academic community and beyond it. Of course, it would be a success if one of them built a billion-dollar company – but our ambition is much broader,” says Rector Brian Bech Nielsen.
Interdisciplinary projects with great potential
The appointed researchers span a wide range of disciplines – from anthropology and biomedicine to space technology.
Among them is molecular biologist Ulf Andersson Vang Ørom, who will explore RNA technologies for tackling incurable diseases. Professor of Anthropology Heather Anne Swanson will demonstrate how interdisciplinary approaches can drive advances in climate technology, while Professor of Entrepreneurship Helle Neergaard will address the marked underrepresentation of women among entrepreneurs.
According to Lone Ryg Olsen, Director of Enterprise and Innovation, the appointments mark an important step in the university’s strategy to strengthen its culture of innovation and create better conditions for putting research to work in new ways:
“Collaboration strengthens research, and research strengthens collaboration. The more interaction we can foster between excellent research and the needs of society, the greater the benefit to both society and individual researchers. Through this programme, we aim to inspire many more researchers to put their research to work in new ways – for example, by becoming entrepreneurs,” says Lone Ryg Olsen.
Support throughout the innovation process
Through the DSI programme, the researchers receive more than a title. They also gain extensive support through the university’s networks and resources. Kitchen, Aarhus University’s hub for entrepreneurship, will play a central role in supporting their work by offering workshops, access to business networks, and guidance on external funding. With more than 500 researchers and students currently affiliated with The Kitchen, the hub has established itself as a dynamic centre for innovation where the DSI researchers can develop their projects further.
The seven researchers were selected on the basis of ambitious innovation projects with the potential to generate both commercial value and significant societal change. Faculty assessment committees carefully reviewed the applications, focusing on the researchers’ ability to foster a culture of innovation across the university.
Based on recommendations from the faculties, the university’s senior management team appointed the researchers.
United by a shared ambition to make a difference, they are now embarking on up to five years of work combining research and innovation at the highest level.