Denmark to Have New World-Class Research Centre

The University of Copenhagen is now establishing a new research centre focusing on metabolism, following a private grant of DKK 885 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation.

– The Centre will research into the causes of many of the lifestyle diseases that are becoming increasingly common in the western world. In this way we can be better at preventing and treating obesity, diabetes etc., and at the same time we are promoting the basis for growth and jobs in an area where Denmark has an international position of strength, says Science Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.

– It is a prior condition for our ability to create new growth and prosperity in Denmark that we utilise the knowledge created at the universities in an optimal manner. So public-private collaboration is one of the Government's focus areas, and the Foundation's grant is a good example of the type of interaction that we need to see much more of.

– The Research Centre will give Danish research environments and enterprises direct contact with international frontline research in the field. It will be possible to attract researchers at the very top level, which again will give a quality boost in the education of graduates and researchers in the area, says Charlotte Sahl-Madsen.

– Danish universities are good at securing funding of their research through contributions from private foundations – but we should always look for ways to be better. As a consequence, the Government is proposing to set up a match fund that will allocate another DKK 100 million annually to improve the scope for creating such partnerships.

For further comments by Science Minister Charlotte Sahl-Madsen, please contact Communications Manager Anders Frandsen, tel.: +45 30 48 84 50.

For further information about the new Research Centre and the foundation grant, please contact the University of Copenhagen and the Novo Nordisk Foundation.