DKK 3 billion for Innovation and Dissemination of Knowledge

– Over the next three years, the new Finance Act will allocate DKK 3 billion for innovation and dissemination of knowledge. In this way, we have created a strong and solid foundation for increased collaboration between the universities and the private sector, says Helge Sander, Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation.

For 2010, nearly DKK 1.1 billion will be available for innovation and dissemination of knowledge, which is an increase of more than DKK 200 million on this year. And another round of negotiations on the globalisation pool is due next autumn about the allocation of about three billion kroner for 2011-2012.

– It is essential to Denmark's scope for growth that wide political support for innovation and dissemination of knowledge has been created.

– Since I became Science Minister nearly eight years ago, it has been a key objective to build bridges between our public knowledge institutions and the private business sector, says Helge Sander.

Following the recent political agreements on globalisation and UMTS funding, the increase in grants for innovation and dissemination of knowledge will be spent on purposes such as:

• the approved technological service institutes, plus DKK 190 million,
• innovation environments, plus DKK 200 million, and
• innovation consortia, plus DKK 235 million.

The additional grants will be effective for the next three years.

– Besides the three billion kroner for innovation and dissemination of knowledge, a number of other grants will strengthen the growth potential of Danish trade and industry, says Helge Sander.

– For example, our effort to promote green research. Here, more than DKK 700 million will be allocated to areas in which Danish trade and industry holds a strong position already and can interact closely with the knowledge institutions. And the very ambitious billion-kroner plan for university laboratories which will give the energy and building sector a large number of new tasks.

– On top of these initiatives within the area of the Science Ministry, growth enterprises in the business sector will also benefit from a variety of other Government initiatives, including the strengthening of venture funds etc.

In 2010, grants for innovation and dissemination of knowledge will be about 45 per cent higher than in the Government's first Finance Act for 2002.

– It is no secret that the balance of our national budget is strongly influenced by the current state of the market and the need for massive future investments in areas such as research, innovation and education, says Helge Sander.

– So it is to be expected that the Finance Act for 2010 will be appreciated - with a greater measure of socioeconomic responsibility on the part of those interest groups who have lined up this year to a rare degree to present their want lists and expenses claims, taking little account of how the bill is to be footed later.

For further comments by Science Minister Helge Sander, please contact Information Manager Allan Boldt, tel.: +45 33 92 97 39, abo@vtu.dk.