New council to benefit Danish research and innovation

• The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy

A new council to further Danish research, technology and innovation. The Minister for Higher Education and Science, Sofie Carsten Nielsen, has now appointed the board members for the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (DFIR, Danmarks Forsknings- og Innovationspolitiske Råd). 

DFIR, which replaces the Danish Council for Research Policy (DFR, Danmarks Forskningspolitiske Råd), will advise the Minister for Higher Education and Science, the Danish Parliament and other ministers on e.g. national and international experiences and trends in research and innovation. 

Sofie Carsten Nielsen is looking forward to a constructive cooperation with the new council.

- Research and innovation is the key to future growth, prosperity and jobs in Denmark. This is why we now, with this new independent council, make guidance on research and innovation markedly stronger. The council is to provide guidance and recommendation to ensure that we get as much as possible out of all the money we invest in research each year, says Sofie Carsten Nielsen. 

Chairman of the council is professor and former Vice-Chancellor at the University of Southern Denmark, Jens Oddershede. That apart, the following are appointed to the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (DFIR, Danmarks Forsknings- og Innovationspolitiske Råd):

• CEO Peter Høngaard Andersen, European Brain Council
• Dean Allan Flyvbjerg, Aarhus University 
• Head of Department Maja Horst, University of Copenhagen
• Head of Group Engineering Nickie Spile, Rockwool International 
• Senior Vice President Susanne Kure, Business Development Finance (Vækstfonden) – VF Fonde
• Founder and Partner Claus Kastberg Nielsen, Copenhagen Economics A/S
• CEO Birgitte Nauntofte, Novo Nordisk Foundation
• CEO Thomas Bech Hansen, DELTA 

Jens Oddershede is looking forward to start the work: 

-   The work that the council is undertaking is important, and I'm very proud to get the opportunity to be at the head of it. I'm looking forward to a constructive cooperation with the other members of the council, and to set a strong agenda for research and innovation policy inspired by the role of the Danish Economic Council in the field of economics, says Jens Oddershede. 

The decision to expand the mandate for the council to include guidance on technology development and innovation was made by a unanimous Parliament on 25 March in connection with the enactment of the act governing the Danish National Innovation Foundation. 

The council will furthermore be preparing forward-looking recommendations and analyses to document and assess the overall effect of total Danish investments in research, technology development and innovation. 

The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy

• The chairman and eight members of the Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (DFIR) are all appointed by the Minister for Higher Education and Science and represent non-political, non-institutional and non-economic interests.
• The board is made up of recognised researchers or people with research knowledge and people with other backgrounds, for example from the business community.
• The appointment period is three years with the possibility of re-appointment for another three year period.
• The Danish Council for Research and Innovation Policy (DFIR, Danmarks Forsknings- og Innovationspolitiske Råd) is serviced by an independent secretariat at the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation.

• Overview of councils and commissions 2014 (in Danish) 

For further information please contact:

Head of division Mikkel Leihardt, tel. 7231 8015, e-mail: mle@ufm.dk  

Head of press Ingeborg Nielsen, tel.: 2211 0200, e-mail: imen@ufm.dk Last modified April 1, 2014