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Dear ladies and gentlemen
I would like to thank The International Chamber of Commerce Denmark and The Danish Society for Education and Business for inviting me to this annual dinner.
I am very happy to be here and to be on tonight’s impressive list of speakers.
Because there is an important link between the knowledge that derives from science, research and education – which is my field – and successful businesses.
An important link that I would like to emphasise tonight.
Previously I worked at Danish Industry – so I feel very much at home here tonight, where business, science and education come together.
And I am especially happy to see, that people from the world of research, education and business are among tonight’s guests.
Innovation and entrepreneurship as a force of change
With the prizes being awarded tonight, we celebrate innovative ideas and entrepreneurship as an important force of change in our society and economy – both on a national but also on a global scale.
To find the solutions to yet unsolved problems.
To improve the quality of life in every corner of the planet.
Because research and innovation can really change the world for the better.
With research we can find new ways to make us healthier and live longer lives. Develop new treatments and cure diseases.
We rely on research and innovation to deliver the solutions to the challenges, that we face with the climate changes, and we count on science to find ways to prevent the loss of biodiversity around the world.
I think that we can without a doubt conclude, that we expect a lot from science and scientists in the coming years.
Fortunately for us, many scientists devote their entire life to research and the next scientific breakthrough.
It is no doubt hard work to do research.
But when you succeed as a scientist with that important scientific discovery, it can lead to a massive impact across the entire world.
So, in science there are truly remarkable achievements being done, that we should all be thankful for.
Ethics in science
But research can also raise ethical questions.
With new technologies and inventions, we are sometimes placed in a dilemma between new possibilities and ethical boundaries.
Even though new scientific discoveries and technologies are made for the common good, they can also often be abused for darker purposes.
It is important that we all work together across science and business with likeminded partners in other countries to maintain high ethical standards, when it comes to for example the use of artificial intelligence or quantum technology.
In my view Denmark must lead the way in order to strike the right balance between using new technologies and reaping the benefits – and our ethics.
This is even more important in a world with increasing geopolitical tensions and fierce global competition, when it comes to the development and use of new technologies.
There are important values at stake, and we need to see research and innovation as important drivers for progress and for a better world.
From idea to business
That is also why the work, that you do at both the International Chamber of Commerce Denmark and The Danish Society for Education and Business, are so important. And I would like to thank you for that.
I have had the privilege to meet a lot of scientists and learn about the amazing work they do with everything from quantum computers to life science or robots. Just to give a few examples.
But just as important we need skilled people to make practical use of the new discoveries in our society. People who can transform research into products and viable businesses.
Businesses that innovate and create the solutions of tomorrow by building on the results of research.
If we look a few years ahead, we can see that for example artificial intelligence will become a strong force of change. In some ways it already is.
Disrupting industries and professions.
Life-changing inventions that we have not even thought of yet, will no doubt emerge as a result of research and innovation.
And improve the quality of life for many.
This is truly fascinating.
And that is why, we need to create even stronger links between research and new solutions and products.
A potential to unleash
Because it is far from easy to go from start-up to scale up.
And there are without a doubt obstacles that we need to remove.
When the student or scientist – with a bright idea and a strong drive to make it happen – wants to go ahead with his or her idea, we should do our best to support it.
We need a strong ecosystem in place, and we need to work together across science, business and politics.
We are already a so called ‘Innovation Leader’ compared to the other EU-countries.
This is something to be proud of.
And something, that we cannot just take for granted. It is the result of hard work in research environments, in business and among start-ups in Denmark.
But we have potential for far more, when it comes to innovation.
We simply have too few innovative companies compared to our relatively high level of investments in research and development.
Therefore, as part of the government’s political program we will put forth a new entrepreneurial strategy.
A strategy that aims at strengthening entrepreneurship in Denmark.
An important part of the strategy will be how to bring about more innovative knowledge at the universities and in research environments.
The ambition being, that when we look at Kendall Square, Station F or other leading start-up incubators for inspiration, they look right back at us in Denmark.
The sky is the limit
That said, I do not believe, that creativity and innovation can be put on a simple formula.
Because when it comes to innovation and entrepreneurship, the sky is the limit.
That is what makes it so fascinating, and why we need to do more to encourage and boost it.
I am ready to do my part, and I know, that you are too.
Thank you.