Political agreement reached to distribute DKK 1 billion to research and development

Independent research is also being strengthened through the deal. Søren Pind is pleased with the agreement.

The Danish Government, the Social Democrats, the Danish People's Party, the Danish Social Liberal Party, and the Socialist People's Party have agreed as of 31 October how to allocate DKK 1.01 billion to research and development in 2018. The funds will come from the research reserve, which the Government has earmarked in the 2018 Budget, and which is approx. DKK 440 million more than in 2017.

Minister for Higher Education and Science Søren Pind is pleased with the new agreement:

- Research improves our lives. It creates jobs, improves our health system, our education, our environment and can provide us with answers to how to give our children a better start in life. With this agreement, we can look forward to new knowledge which will benefit our society and daily lives in many different ways, says Søren Pind.

The parties have allocated DKK 360 million to Innovation Fund Denmark. The funds will be used to strengthen research into better health, new technological opportunities, and green growth, which can provide new solutions to great global challenges and strengthen Danish exports, growth and welfare.

DKK 270 million has been allocated to development and demonstration programmes. The funds will be used in areas such as developing new technologies relating to the environment, organic production and energy.

DKK 205 million has been allocated to Independent Research Fund Denmark. It will be used for research projects that can help better well-being, development and learning for children from marginalised families.

The parties have also earmarked DKK 35 million to establish a leading international research environment in association with the European Spallation Source (ESS) and DKK 40 million to increase basic research funds in 2018 for Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Aalborg University and the IT University of Copenhagen.

The research reserve will be distributed as follows in 2018:

Note: 1.5 per cent of the funding will be used for the administration of the initiatives

Jens Henrik Thulesen Dahl, Danish People's Party:
- This is a good and well-balanced agreement. We are advancing research, and I am particularly pleased that we are targeting efforts to improve freedom for those people affected by a loss of function through research into relevant new technologies. Furthermore, we wanted to clean up the administration of public research, and the Government has now promised us that they will look into it.

Mette Abildgaard, Conservative People's Party:
- It has been important to the Conservative People's Party  to ensure funding for EUDP and MUDP. These green research funding pools contribute to the development of important climate and environmentally-friendly solutions, and contribute to Danish jobs and green exports. Clear proof that green responsibility and  healthy business opportunities can go hand in hand.

Henrik Dahl, Liberal Alliance:
- We have achieved a good agreement which gives a high priority to independent research. This makes it possible to support independent and critical thinking, and new original ideas from talented Danish researchers.

Sofie Carsten Nielsen, Danish Social Liberal Party:
- Research is crucial for creating new opportunities for all of us as well as a better life for future generations. The Danish Social Liberal Party wants to allocate more funding for research in Denmark. However, I am very pleased with the distribution of the research reserve this year which considers the targeted research under Innovation Fund Denmark, to green growth, health and welfare, and allocates more funds for independent research. We are particularly pleased with the funding for research into early intervention for young children, and the research into learning and educational quality which will benefit all children and young people.

Mette Reissmann, Social Democrats:
- The Social Democrats are very pleased with the distribution of the research reserve, which puts extra focus on technical research, including energy research. This will help ensure jobs and growth. The EUDP and MUDP are important areas for the social democrats, and have secured more funding than was in the initial proposal. We are very pleased that in the health area, funding has been secured for a technology-supported health service that is close to home, through practice-oriented research. The Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship will receive more funding so that educating entrepreneurs can be further strengthened.

Lisbeth Bech Poulsen, Socialist People's Party:
- I am very pleased that the Socialist People's Party has succeeded in earmarking DKK 12 million for the targeted research in the dynamic effects of welfare investments – as well as early childhood interventions. This is currently seen as a cost, not an investment and this research funding will change that.

For further information please contact

Press Officer Jakob Sejr Teichert, tel. +45 7231 9503, e-mail: jte@ufm.dk
Head of Division Anders Boye Jacobsen, tel. +45 7231 8052, e-mail: aboj@ufm.dk