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Innovation strategy will create jobs and growth

March 06, 2012
A collective ambitious innovation strategy will ensure a quicker turnaround from public investments in research, development, innovation and education, to growth and jobs in the labour market.

The government has initiated an intensive process that will lead to the country's first, collective and ambitious innovation strategy later this year, which will significantly reduce the turnaround from public investments in research, development, innovation and education to growth and job creation in the labour market.

There are global challenges such as climate change, energy resources and changing demographics and Denmark is not immune. It has its own problems with productivity and slow growth.

The government believes that translating new ideas to innovative solutions can provide many answers – including for job creation and dealing with large societal challenges.

– Our investments in research, innovation and education must result in growth and employment for the benefit of society. Denmark will be a country of solutions and the innovation strategy will be an expression of liberation from existing frameworks and conventional thinking, says Higher Education Minister Morten Østergaard.

The government is defining some guidelines in advance that aim to prioritise greater ventures in areas where Denmark has particular strengths and the necessary prerequisites for finding solutions to societal challenges. The strategy will also outline a plan for more thorough innovation partnerships between the public sector, knowledge institutions and private businesses.

– We must utilise our strong public sector as a driver of innovation. The education system, research, welfare area, climate effort, public procurement, laws and regulations can make a crucial difference when challenges must be turned into solutions, and when potential must be turned into new jobs and growth in the private sector. We must create incentives, freedom and opportunities so that researchers, companies and public institutions can utilise the public sector as an innovation lab, says Morten Østergaard.

The government has appointed a cross-ministerial coordination group and in the coming months, the government will initiate a larger analysis with help from the EU and invite companies, organisations, experts, public institutions and other stakeholders to participate in the debate about what Denmark can and must do to locate unique Danish innovation potential and needs.

Minister for Business and Growth Ole Sohn says:

– A great innovation capacity is about companies getting the best framework for utilising future sources of innovation. It requires the engagement of universities, knowledge institutions and the public and private sectors in the future global innovation network. And it requires us daring to focus on areas where Denmark has unique strengths or an edge compared to others, just as we should also focus on some of the societal challenges where we are most likely to find solutions. We must be more goal-oriented and dare to prioritise, says Ole Sohn.

Furthermore, the innovation strategy will strengthen innovation capacity and put entrepreneurship on the agenda in the education sector, while schemes and instruments will also be reviewed.

The public research budget for 2012 is approximately DKK 19.3 billion, which is the equivalent of about 1 per cent of Denmark's GDP.

To a great extent, the government will make itself available and participate in debates, conferences, dialogue meetings and other events, and invites all interested parties to become involved in the development of the innovation strategy. You can follow the process here on the website:


For further information please contact:

Higher Education Ministry: Press officer Ingeborg Nielsen, tel: +45 2211 0200. Ministry of Business and Growth: Press officer Søren Møller tel: +45 2244 5060.

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