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More innovation in education
Imagine sitting in a meeting or at a conference waiting for a PowerPoint show to begin.
A small army of people is running around desperately trying to get the projector to work. Something is obviously wrong.
The speaker’s face suddenly turns pale. Apparently, they do not have the right cable. And the speaker must do his presentation without the PowerPoint show.
I guess many of you have experienced that situation.
I have tried sitting there in the audience, waiting. But I’ve also tried being the speaker whose notes were that PowerPoint show. And believe me that is not funny.
Fortunately, some students from DTU have solved that problem.
No one needs a cable for their PowerPoint presentations anymore.
Instead the solution is Airtame.
Soon you will be able to stream from any device to any monitor. It can be from your iphone to a TV or from your tablet to a projector.
And the best thing is, that it is wireless. From now on you do not have to bring a bunch of cables and converters when you are going to do a presentation.
How great is that?
The Airtame team has done exactly what I wish even more students will do. They discover a problem - and see it as a challenge. They find a solution - and they transform their idea into a real product.
A product that I hope will be a huge success.
Airtame is not a product of DTU Skylab but hopefully Skylab will incite more students to do like the students behind Airtame.
A playground for innovative students
Innovation in education is great. And I can only say – more of that! So obviously I am thrilled to be here today at the opening of DTU Skylab.
I am thrilled to see how much effort DTU put into supporting innovative students. And I am thrilled on behalf of all students at DTU, who now will get a fantastic place for experimenting with their ideas.
DTU Skylab will be the place where new ideas and new companies are born.
It will be the place where students work out innovative solutions. I will be a great facility for testing and developing new ideas and products.
Entrepreneurs are characterised by the fact that they love problems. They love a problem or challenge where they can try and find a good solution - and see where it will take them. And for that purpose – Skylab will be a great playground.
Innovation creates jobs
Data shows that more and more students want to get involved in entrepreneurship. And more and more students fancy the idea of starting up their own business.
That is great news. Because good ideas, new products and businesses make our future. It will improve economic growth. And it will improve our welfare.
Innovation and entrepreneurship are very important to the Danish Government.
Less than two years ago the Danish Government initiated a paradigm shift for future innovation policy by launching the national innovation strategy, “Denmark – a nation of solutions.
The innovation strategy will ensure that more of Denmark’s knowledge and business positions of strength are translated into new jobs and growth
An important feature in the strategy is to see education as a means to increase innovation capacity.
It is people who are innovative
And more focus on innovation in education is the first step on the path towards more innovative employees and to increasing the motivation of students to become entrepreneurs.
As a part of the strategy this autumn we will present a new initiative.
In order to strengthen innovative entrepreneurship among graduates we will launch a scheme entitled 'StartUp Graduate'.
The scheme aims at graduates wanting to work on a business idea, develop their entrepreneurial skills, and start their own company
Elected candidates will get financial and advisory support in up to a year.
The scheme is to support the creation of new knowledge-based and innovative companies. And it will strengthen the link between educational institutions and private funding sources.
So I am looking forward to seeing the results of this initiative.
A place where it all begins
DTU is an acknowledged university. Where talented students become competent engineers.
And some become competent entrepreneurs. That is great. We need that.
For the students behind Airtame with the solution to end all PowerPoints problems - it all began here at DTU.
I would love to see more of these innovative ideas. And I am looking forward to hear more about innovative students.
So one challenge for you:
In order to stay innovative; invite others in to your lab. Students whom are different from you. Anthro-pologists, students of the humanities, teachers, maybe even a pedagogue?
Keep moving!
Then I am sure that Skylab will become a huge community for innovation and entrepreneurship.
Once again congratulations with Skylab. I hope that it will be the place where it all begins for a lot of innovative students.
And to all you students - just go for it!
I now declare DTU Skylab open!