The US is one of the world's most powerful research and technology nations. There is a strong focus on excellence in the research funding system and there are strong beacons, such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the Department of Energy. These are key public players that support the development of new technologies for the benefit of both the US and the world.
Since the mid-2000s, the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (UFM) has supported Danish researchers' and companies' access to the latest knowledge from the best US research environments and supported bilateral research and technology cooperation between companies and companies' cooperation with universities and government agencies.
In 2006, UFM opened its first Innovation Centre Denmark in Silicon Valley, and in 2019, UFM opened another innovation centre in Boston. The focus in Silicon Valley is on tech, life science and renewable energy. In Boston, the focus is on life science, artificial intelligence and robotics as well as on renewable energy.
The US and Denmark signed a general research cooperation agreement in 2009, and in 2021 UFM entered into an agreement with the Department of Energy, along with the Department of Climate, Energy and Utilities and the Innovation Fund, to collaborate on energy resources. The Department has also had agreements with a number of leading universities such as Stanford University, UC Berkeley and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to strengthen the exchange of researchers, students and knowledge in selected areas.
Overall, the agreements and activities of the Innovation Centres contribute to fostering collaboration. The centres are a central hub and bridgehead for Danish companies and universities to collaborate with US and local state governments and research institutions in California and Massachusetts in the field of research and innovation.
The US also participates in various international programmes and organisations that can provide a framework for cooperation with Danish partners. This is particularly the case for Horizon Europe, the EU's framework programme for research and innovation for the years 2021-27, and opportunities for international cooperation supported by Innovation Fund Denmark.