Check against delivery.
Thank you for the opportunity to be here today. And thank you for a interesting presentation of the Danish response to the Draghi and Letta reports. We are in a new world order where research and innovation are playing an increasingly important part in the future of both our country and our continent.
And it is important to look at the framework, the long-term strategy, and the way we collaborate both nationally and internationally.
In the world I grew up in – and this is probably true for many of you present here today – we believed that the liberal world order had fundamentally triumphed.
But now, everything seems to be up in the air.
Europe can no longer rely on others to come to our rescue when things are hard. Whether it concerns gas for the radiator, microchips for the factory, or protection from authoritarian regimes.
That is why our strategic autonomy is becoming increasingly important. Ultimately, it’s about being able to stand on our own.
Not because we want to turn our back on the world, but because we want to stand stronger in it.
And that will require hard work.
Europe and Denmark are privileged by having some of the world’s most talented researchers and innovators. There is an abundance of ideas across both our country and our continent.
What we need to get better at is setting a direction. We need to think more long-term and strategically.
More of our ideas and research results can and should be transformed into businesses and products that can compete on the market and make a difference.
We stand on a strong foundation
Much has been said about the times we live in. It is hard to stay calm when everything you thought was obvious is being put to the test. When strong winds are shaking the very foundation of Europe.
But the storm has also blown open some doors that were previously closed.
We are suddenly seeing politicians – both here in Denmark and across Europe – pull their blue EU flags out of the drawer.
We are seeing an enormous willingness to cooperate and invest within the EU.
We are witnessing a European awakening among citizens. With less EU skepticism and consumer movements that want to buy not just locally, but European.
It is when the winds blow the hardest that the foundation must prove its strength. And fortunately, all things suggest that the European foundation is quite strong.
I’m reminded of a quote by Jacques Delors, who was President of the European Commission from 1985 to 1995.
He was French but also European with a capital E. And when he stepped down after ten years of service, he gave a speech to the European Parliament about cooperation, gratitude, and hope.
He ended his speech with the words:
“Allons, courage, le Printemps de l’Europe est toujours devant nous!”
Or in English:
“Come on, be brave. The European spring is still ahead of us”
More than anything, that is the feeling we should hold onto now.
We talk a lot about all the things we can and must do better both in Denmark and in Europe.
And we should talk about them. But now is also the time to act. We need a stronger strategic direction in our research, innovation, and industry.
So that we move in the same direction and get better at turning research into business.
We need to do this while also prioritizing basic research and curiosity-driven science. Because this is what lays the foundation for the scientific breakthroughs that will shape our future strategic direction.
We must strengthen competitiveness and make Europe independent so we can protect everything we’ve built together. Especially when protectionist and anti-democratic winds blow around us.
But we must also remember who we are – and most importantly, who we want to be.
It is research and innovation that will carry Europe into the future.
But academic freedom and international research collaboration are increasingly affected by great power interests and political control.
We see this in China, where the state controls what is researched in various areas. Where academic freedom often gives way to ideological conformity.
Unfortunately, we also see it in the United States, where political tensions and culture wars interfere with universities’ freedom to research and teach.
That is why it is so important that we do not take academic freedom for granted.
We must safeguard the values that form the basis for free research and free education. It is the foundation for scientific integrity and public trust. I also believe it is a competitive advantage.
Europe is an attractive place for some of the world’s brightest minds because we stand firm in our values.
Europe has a strong tradition of free thinking. We’ve had it since ancient Greece invented democracy. We’ve had it since the first university was founded in Bologna nearly a thousand years ago. This is our legacy and it cannot be overlooked.
When we invest in Danish and European research it also has to come with a shared vision for what research should be: Free, independent, and enlightening for society.
The crucial role of universities
When Denmark takes over the presidency of the Council of Ministers shortly, we will work purposefully to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness while safeguarding the ideals of research.
Two of the areas that we expect will be in focus – apart from the Framework Programme FP10 - are the EU’s upcoming space law and the further development of EU’s space activities. And I believe this is a clear example of the technological race in which we need to participate in at the highest level.
I see one clear goal here: A strong, innovative, diversified, and competitive European space sector.
It is crucial that we have an industry that can succeed in the global economy – and simultaneously strengthen our collective security and defense.
This requires investment in research, development, and innovation. It requires open competition and – not least – room for new players.
We cannot settle for a space sector concentrated on very few hands. And certainly not if those hands belong to a South African billionaire with very little respect for basic democratic values.
Universities play a crucial role in this. Both as research institutions and in the value chain from research to business.
It is on university campuses ground-breaking ideas are born. It is where talents are shaped. And it is often where the foundation is laid for the entrepreneurs of the future. But we can and must get better at turning promising research into real commercial value.
Unfortunately, we far too often see great ideas and emerging businesses running into a wall of bureaucracy. Because access to risk capital is lacking. And because the framework conditions simply aren’t competitive enough.
We can make it more attractive to be a business – both in Denmark and in Europe.
We need to invest strategically in the technologies of the future: quantum technology, artificial intelligence, biotechnology – and, of course, space.
There are plenty of bad and worrying news stories at the moment, but the good news is that we have a unique opportunity right now.
An opportunity to fight for our values together and to strengthen the foundation we stand on.
We have a big task – that’s clear to everyone. But we also have the talent, the resources, and the will to succeed.
It is crucial that we address the issues and set a clear direction both at home and on a European level. So, thank you to POMUS for your dedicated work to strengthen Danish research and innovation.
I think it’s safe to say that both the European and the Danish spring are ahead of us.
Thank you.