The Danish Council for Strategic Research, Annual Report 2012/2013

www.fivu.dk/en/dsf

AnnualReport 2012/2013

http://www.fivu.dk/en/dsf

Contents

ForewordHallmarks and priorities 2013Vision

Focusing on societal challenges Computer detects lung disease

Better logistics to reduce lorry traffic in

European cities

Technological literacy on the school timetable

High-tech materials transform waste heat

into electricity

Smarter hospital food to save millions

— and aid recovery

The potato is our new super resource

Towards electricity-based transportation

New tests to detect aggressive cancers

The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research Organisation and boardKey figures

Funding recipients 2012

Secretariat

357

81012

1416

18

202224

29

3032

35

46

The Danish Council for Strategic Research3/

Foreword Investments in strategic research create value

Public-sector investments in strategic research

are long-term investments that play a significant

role in building a foundation for future growth and

prosperity.

In this annual report, we draw on a series of cases

to provide examples of how strategic research

creates value in Danish society through the

special characteristics of the grants awarded

by the Danish Council for Strategic Research.

The primary objective of the Danish Council

for Strategic Research is to advance research

distinguished by its quality, relevance and

potential impact. In other words, the research

must be of excellent standard and address

areas pertinent to challenges in society – and it

must embody the potential to produce solutions

in the short or long term.

In addition, the Danish Council for Strategic

Research is characterised by its focus on a num-

ber of key principles for the research it funds.

The Danish Council for Strategic Research is

committed to strengthening interdisciplinary

research because it is well-suited to solving com-

plex societal challenges. Two out of three grants

involve more than one main research discipline.

The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-

mitted to strengthening collaboration between

research environments in order to maximise

their synergies. Eight in ten researchers state

that their grant from the Danish Council for Strate-

gic Research resulted in increased collaboration

between Danish research environments.

The Danish Council for Strategic Research

is committed to strengthening international

collaboration because it has the potential to

make Danish research even stronger. Inter-

national collaboration is now a component in

the vast majority of the Council’s grants.

The Danish Council for Strategic Research is com-

mitted to strengthening public-private partner-

ships because they extend the applicability of

the research results. Private-sector enterprise

is currently party to the majority of the Council’s

grants.


committed to strengthening capacity building

at Danish universities because it increases the

relevance of the research and improves the con-

tent of the educational programmes. Two in three

grants have resulted in a change in the academic

content of degree programmes and teaching.


committed to strengthening research training

because it is conducive to knowledge building at

a high level. More than half of the funds awarded

by the Council go towards research training.

I hope that you find the cases presented in the

following both interesting and inspiring.

Enjoy the report.

March 2013

Peter Olesen

Chair of the Board,



Interview with Peter Olesen, Chair, and Mette Thunø, Vice-Chair, the Board of the Danish Council for Strategic Research

Strategic research — hallmarks and priorities 2013


has been in existence since 2004. What

significance has the Council had for Danish

research?

Peter Olesen:

“Above all, the Council has been significant for

Danish society in its particular approach to

funding research.

The Council today has prominent standing as an

exponent for research that is geared towards

helping to solve key societal challenges across

a broad front where society, as represented by

Parliament, decides to allocate funding.

Funding applications are assessed on the basis

of the special strategic quality concept, where

relevance and potential impact are distinct crite-

ria signalling that the research must be of benefit

to society. The immense interest in strategic

research gives applicants a particular incentive

for bringing the best forces into play through

collaboration between Danish universities and

between Danish and international researchers.”

Mette Thunø:

“Although not altogether straightforward, the

Council’s focus on research that is expected to

contribute to solving societal challenges and

hence be problem-oriented in its approach, has

resulted in more interdisciplinary and multi-

disciplinary research. The Danish Council for

Strategic Research is the only research council

from which researchers stand to receive major

and long-term grants specifically for interdisci-

plinary research. As a result, one aspect of the

research projects is that the research training

takes place in an interdisciplinary environment.

We believe that this carries many advantages,

making graduates attractive employees in both

the public and private sectors.”

What does problem-oriented research entail?

Mette Thunø:

“The key aspect consists of the specific problems

which the research is to contribute to solving,

and the fact that it is down to the researchers,

in association with a number of different part-

ners, including business enterprises and users,

to define the specific problems and hence the

projects. One of the distinct strengths of strategic

research is that the partners join forces to define

the specific problems and projects. This is what

enables the research to generate the expertise

that is aimed at specific needs in society.”

What is the rationale for your emphasis on

collaboration between universities?

Peter Olesen:

“Although Danish research enjoys high standing

internationally, the competition is so tough that

we have to get the best Danish researchers to

pool their resources in order to generate even

better results. This is not collaboration just for the

sake of it, but collaboration designed specifically

to achieve even better results. We are certainly

pleased to note that researchers in the strate-

gic projects have become proficient at finding

partner entities across the universities – even

to the extent that we could well claim to be the

main driving force for inter-university research

partnerships.”

What are the main priorities of the Danish

Council for Strategic Research in 2013?

Peter Olesen:

“The Council will naturally be maintaining its

ongoing efforts to develop the hallmarks of Dan-

ish strategic research. In addition, in 2013, the

Council will be giving special priority to:

1. Research management and up-and-coming

researchers

2. International collaboration

3. User involvement.”

6/ The Danish Council for Strategic Research

Why do you wish to give special priority to

research management and up-and-coming

researchers?

Mette Thunø:

“Over the course of 2012, an independent eval-

uation was conducted of the grants awarded by

the Council for interdisciplinary nano, bio, and

ICT research in the period 2005-2011, totaling

DKK 300m. We are pleased that the panel’s

overall conclusion was a very firm recom-

mendation for continued priority to be given to

strategic research within this area. One aspect

which the panel stresses as being wholly unique

to Danish strategic research is the interdiscipli-

nary research training that gives both PhDs and

postdocs a set of special competencies, which

are so highly prized in private-sector business

and industry as well as in the public sector.

The panel also commends the Danish Council for

Strategic Research for prioritising interdiscipli-

nary research partnerships, recognising that

these are extremely challenging in terms of their

management. The panel recommends that efforts

to strengthen this be continued through, for exam-

ple, increased focus on research management

and more support for future research managers.

To that end, the Council has decided to host a

special seminar for the managers of the Council’s

most recent major grants. In order to provide

further support for interdisciplinary collaboration

among grant-holders, and the development of

future research managers, managers of the indi-

vidual work packages will also be attending.”

What does the priority given to international

cooperation involve more specifically?

Peter Olesen:

“Firstly, the Council will continue to give priority to

international cooperation in the individual grants

as a means of generally strengthening Danish

research. The dedicated efforts to that end have

now resulted in the fact that active international

cooperation is a component in the majority of the

Council’s grants. In the beginning this was true of

less than a fifth of the grants.

Secondly, we know from studies that grants

from the Danish Council for Strategic Research

provide special preconditions for subsequent

applications to participate in European research

projects. This is why the Council, within the con-

straints of the annual appropriations under the

National Budget, intends to participate in joint

European calls, e.g. in the fields of health, foods

and climate.

Thirdly, since 2009, the Council has worked in-

tensively to strengthen cooperation with growth

countries. In 2012, we had bilateral agreements

on joint calls with China, India and Brazil. In 2013

we will be extending this cooperation to comprise

joint calls with South Korea in the area of energy

research.”

What do you mean by user-involvement?

Mette Thunø:

“In the Danish Council for Strategic Research, we

attach great importance to the applicability of

the research for the benefit of society at large.

For this reason, we naturally seek to involve the

future users in business and industry, public

user institutions and consumers. The research

must be of sufficiently high quality for it to create

a basis for innovation in the public and private

sectors. In order to increase both the relevance

and the intended impact of the research we fund,

we place great emphasis on the involvement of

private as well as public sector stakeholders. We

believe that this increases both the relevance

in respect of applicability and constitutes an

important relevancy aspect for the PhD students

who typically carry out a large proportion of the

research. The Council is also focused on ongoing

knowledge exchange with users, including with

business enterprises, through participation in

research activities, and the subsequent applica-

tion of the results in developing new technologies

or products.”

The Danish Council for Strategic Research seeks to strengthen problem-oriented research which

— has high international impact

— focuses on significant societal challenges

— has the potential to contribute to national economic growth and welfare improvements

Vision

Strategic research contributes to solving significant societal challenges

On the following pages, we present a small selection of the many research projects granted funding by the Danish Council for Strategic Research.

p. 12Traffic

Reduced lorry traffic

in cities

p. 18Hospital food

Reducing food waste and

improving patient health

p. 10DiagnosticsNew techniques for

COPD detection

p. 22Electric cars

Tomorrow’s electric cars are

conveniently charged via

wireless charging

stations

p. 16Energy efficiency

Waste heat converted

into new energy

p. 24Prevention

New screening techniques

to detect aggressive

cancers

p. 20Smart crops

Optimising the potato

p. 14Use of technology

Technological literacy at

schools and hospitals


Computer detects lung diseases

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

(COPD), typically caused by smoking, is a

frequent cause of death and disablement

worldwide. WHO rates it as the fourth most

common cause of death – and its prevalence

is rising. There is no curative treatment for

COPD, as, among other things, the underly-

ing mechanisms of the disease are unknown.

However, by using computer technology, the

strategic research project entitled Computer-aided assessment of COPD from CT-images

has taken an important step towards a better

understanding of the disease.

“A unique partnership between computer sci-

ence and health science has brought about

the development of new, innovative methods

of analysing lung CT scans,” explains project

manager Marleen de Bruijne from the Depart-

ment of Computer Science at the University of

Copenhagen (DIKU). This has enabled enhanced

diagnostics and understanding of lung diseases

such as COPD.

“The techniques are currently in use at several

hospitals in Denmark – and have the potential

for diffusion to the international hospital sector,”

asserts Professor Asger Dirksen of Gentofte Hos-

pital, who participated in the project.

Enhanced diagnostics

The new techniques supplement the doctor’s

visual assessment using a computer algorithm

which enables more reliable and fine-meshed

analysis. This has enhanced COPD diagnostics

significantly, in three areas in particular.

Firstly, the computer algorithm permits the state

of the disease to be quantified. The algorithm

checks several factors which determine whether

the patient has COPD and, if so, the severity of

the condition. Secondly, the computer is capa-

ble of detecting disease progression that is not

visible to the naked eye. By comparing CT scans

taken at different sequential stages, it is pos-

sible to identify even slight, localised changes

in the disease. Thirdly, it is now also possible to

perform analyses of the smaller-calibre airways

with a diameter of as little as 1-2 mm. These small

airways play a crucial role in lung diseases such

as COPD.

The more sophisticated techniques are valuable

aids to doctors in diagnosing COPD. “The diagno-

sis is more reliable and quicker to establish. The

disease can be detected at an earlier stage, and

it is possible to obtain a prognosis of how it will

progress,” says Asger Dirksen.

At the same time, these techniques have also

produced better understanding of the disease,

which may be an important step towards devel-

oping drugs to treat it. Among other things, the

techniques make it possible to demonstrate dif-

ferent varieties of the disease, which is important

in drug development and tailoring treatment to

the individual patient.

The result of interdisciplinary partnership

Development of the techniques is the result of

a close partnership between researchers from

widely differing disciplines and from both the pub-

lic sector and a private enterprise. They were cre-

ated in a partnership between researchers from

DIKU, who have the expertise in the technological

capabilities, and researchers from Gentofte Hos-

pital, including pulmonologists and radiologists,

who have the requisite expertise in the disease.

Researchers from the pharmaceutical company

AstraZeneca also participated in the project.

The company develops novel drugs for respira-

tory diseases such as COPD. AstraZeneca’s

involvement was instrumental in ensuring that the

results are applied in the ongoing efforts to find a

treatment for COPD.

The partnership was so successful that it has con-

tinued after the expiration of the grant period. The

researchers are currently working to improve the

techniques that have been developed and also to

extend the applicability of the existing techniques.

New algorithms give PhD students Laura Thomsen and Mathilde Wille a better tool for diagnosing lung disease.


Better logistics to reduce lorry traffic in European cities

To enable European metropolitan areas to

function effectively, there is a need for con-

tinual inter- and intra-urban delivery and dis-

tribution of freight. Meanwhile, heavy goods

traffic is causing increased congestion and

particle and noise pollution in urban areas. A

new research project aims to change the way

we organise urban freight.

Associate Professor Allan Larsen from DTU

Transport, Technical University of Denmark, has

just been awarded a grant of DKK 1.8m for Danish

participation in the CONCOORD – Consolidation

and Coordination in Urban Areas project, an

alliance of researchers in Denmark, the Nether-

lands, Turkey and Austria. The project aims to

contribute to resolving urban problems of con-

gestion through enhanced logistical systems.

“The project allies business economics perspec-

tives with softer values such as liveability, that

is, how good cities are for their citizens to inhabit

and traverse,” says Allan Larsen.

The main concept in the project is to stop treating

each individual heavy goods vehicle and consign-

ment as an isolated unit, and rather to consider

them as subcomponents in a comprehensive

logistics system that can be optimised to prevent

half-empty vehicles from congesting city streets.

“In the past, a great many cities in the West have

attempted to develop city logistics concepts

based on consolidation centres on the outskirts

of major cities as a way of achieving a higher

utilisation rate for the lorries entering the city

centre,” Allan Larsen explains. “The problem is

that this model has a hard time surviving once

the government subsidies run out, because the

reloading means introducing a price-raising in-

termediary. From the start, the CONCOORD model

was intended to be financially sustainable, e.g.

by consolidating the freight further back down

the supply chain.”

Solutions to Europe’s urban problems

Allan Larsen received his grant after applying

for funds from the first joint call within JPI Urban

Europe, an interdisciplinary research initiative

with participation from a number of European

countries.

The Urban Europe initiative focuses on the urban

challenges faced by Europe in the coming years:

Migration from rural to urban areas is continuing,

making it a challenge to create attractive, sustain-

able and financially viable urban areas in which

European citizens, communities and their environs

can thrive. In Urban Europe, the researchers will

be involving users, decision-makers and business

and industry in research that will provide a new

and better basis for drawing up strategies for

European urban development.

The multinational research calls in the JPIs pave

the way for some of Europe’s most talented

researchers to collaborate and learn from each

other. The internationally composed research

teams also offer better opportunities for doing

research in societal challenges that extend be-

yond national borders.

Logistics at European level

“When we collaborate with other European

researchers, we gain a better perspective on the

national challenges in relation to the European

ones, and on how to integrate them in such a

way that we can produce solutions that can be

applied Europe-wide. Naturally, that makes it a

bigger challenge, but it also makes us more at-

tractive as partners for international companies

and others,” says Allan Larsen.

A key focus of the CONCOORD project is just that:

collaborating with a range of companies who are

willing to trial new concepts. The project involves

participants both from actual logistics compa-

nies such as DHL and from major multinationals,

such as Procter & Gamble and Heineken.

“For our concept to work, we need to get com-

panies to team up on supply capacity during

the freight process, and this is where it makes

all the difference to have companies involved,

even early on in the project,” says Allan Larsen.

“Ultimately, they are the ones who are going to be

using our system.”

What is a JPI?

JPI stands for Joint Programming Initiative and denotes a form of collaboration in which research councils in several European countries seek to coordinate research, e.g. through joint calls. This boosts knowledge sharing and collaboration across Europe.

The JPIs are all interdisci-plinary because they are structured around societal challenges that call for collaboration between dif-ferent research disciplines in order to identify best solutions.

The Danish Council for Strategic Research par-ticipates in JPIs within the following areas:

— JPI Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change

— JPI Antimicrobial Resistance

— JPI Climate— JPI Healthy and Produc-

tive Seas and Oceans— JPI Healthy Diet for a

Healthy Life— JPI More Years, Better

Lives— JPI Neurodegenerative

Diseases— JPI Urban Europe — JPI Water

Read more about JPIs at www.fivu.dk/en/dsf



Technological literacy on the school timetable

Electronic boards and iPads have been pro-

cured by many schools, and health services

are investing in welfare technology. But these

state-of-the-art technologies risk defeating

their own purpose if teachers and nurses do

not understand how to use them accordingly

to support their day-to-day work. This is what

the Technucation project will change in a close

collaboration between universities and voca-

tional colleges. The results will benefit future

teachers and nurses, and give university re-

searchers insights into professional practices.

“Use of state-of-the-art technologies is not

merely an option for teachers today. It is actually

a condition,” says Ann-Thérèse Arstorp, a PhD

student in the Technucation project who is affili-

ated with the UCC vocational college, and whose

studies concern the use of interactive boards,

iPads, Facebook and other online resources in

teacher training programmes and in secondary

schools.

“This is why an understanding of the capabilities

and functions of the technologies is so important.

New technology is fascinating, and just the act

of using interactive boards may seem advanced

and innovative in itself. But it is essential that

teachers are critical regarding the technologies,

so they can opt to use them or not in a way that

supports the teaching.”

Technological literacy at multiple levels

The Technucation project is headed by Profes-

sor Cathrine Hasse of Aarhus University, with

participation from two vocational colleges in Co-

penhagen, UCC and Metropol, among others. The

project concerns teachers’ and nurses’ techno-

logical literacy, a concept deriving from literacy

research, where it denotes proficiency in reading,

understanding and critical appreciation of a text.

By this analogy, the concept of technological

literacy covers multiple levels of technological

appreciation.

With the aid of anthropological and other

methods, the researchers on the project are

studying how teachers and nurses are currently

using the technologies available to them. The

project demonstrates a big difference in how

teachers use equipment, such as electronic

boards: some teachers use them exclusively as

a more efficient variant of the traditional black-

board, while others are more informed about

making the most of the interactive potentials

offered by this kind of board.

In order for future teachers and nurses to achieve

greater technological literacy, the project is

developing new teaching resources as a means

of including technological literacy in the teacher/

nurse training. This will be done in the project’s

Innovation Lab, where researchers, tutors,

students and practitioners are jointly working to

develop a learning game that will be designed to

extend the trainees’ technological literacy.

PhD students as bridge-builders

One crucial component in the Technucation

project is the close collaboration between the

vocational colleges and the universities. Every

fortnight, all the project participants – employees

from UCC, Metropol, Aarhus University, Roskilde

University and the Danish Technological Institute

– meet for ongoing analyses and discussion. The

project’s two PhD students split their time evenly

between the vocational colleges and the univer-

sity, and in that they contribute to boosting the

research capacity at the vocational colleges.

Some of the insights from the research project

have already been translated into know-how

within the nurse training programme in the shape

of teaching modules focusing on technology.

When Ulla Gars Jensen, Associate Professor at

Metropol, teaches in research methodology, she

can also draw on her findings from the interviews

conducted as part of the project.

But it is not only the vocational colleges that

gain new insights from the project. “As teachers,

we are able to provide information about the

students in the vocational degree programmes,

who differ from university students. In doing so,

we add validity to the research, because we un-

derstand the students’ environment, culture and

vocational skills. We have to take care not to be

too academic,” says Ulla Gars Jensen.

Associate Professor Ulla Gars Jensen can apply research results from the Technucation project in teaching tomorrow’s nurses.


High-tech materials transform waste heat into electricity

With pioneering energy materials and thermo-

electric technology, a new Danish company

intends to convert temperature differences

into electricity. Research and new expertise at

the Centre for Energy Materials has resulted in

the establishment of the entrepreneurial firm

TEGnology A/S.

New energy materials with names such as zinc

antimonide and magnesium silicide are in focus

when the results of the strategic research centre

CEM (Centre for Energy Materials) come up for as-

sessment. These compounds make it possible to

transform temperature differences into electricity.

In 2007, CEM was awarded a grant of DKK 32m

by the Danish Council for Strategic Research. The

establishment of CEM saw the alliance of two

of Denmark’s leading research environments

– iNANO at Aarhus University and the Depart-

ment of Energy Technology at Aalborg University.

Danish industrial firms the likes of SCF Technolo-

gies, PANCO, Alpcon, FLSmidth and Steeper

Energy contributed both financing and research,

helping to make CEM what it is today: the setting

for a public-private research partnership, which,

allied with international expertise in the shape

of Swedish Chalmers and German Aerospace

Center, is dedicated to research and develop-

ment at the highest international level. The Centre

is led by Professor Bo Brummerstedt of Aarhus

University, who outlines CEM’s activities:

“Core to the very latest energy technology is the

development of novel materials with novel proper-

ties. As such, basic research in energy materials

is a crucial first link in the food chain towards the

development of new technologies for renewable

energy. Our ambition is to conduct pioneering

interdisciplinary research and deploy the results

in practical industrial applications. We have suc-

ceeded in several areas. And this has given us

ideas for further promising research and partner-

ships with business and industry, which can put

the research results to use in practical applica-

tions. FLSmidth, for instance, has a keen interest

in thermoelectric materials because cement

production is such a major source of waste heat.”

Reduced energy consumption in heavy

industrial manufacturing

An everyday example of an unexploited tempera-

ture difference is the one that arises in cars, where

there are several natural temperature differences,

e.g. surrounding the exhaust. And cars and heavy

traffic is an area for which there is a constant

demand for new solutions to optimise fuel con-

sumption. The ability of the new energy materials

to remain reactive in environments with very high

temperatures makes the technology a crucial

development area in many segments of society.

Heavy industrial production and distribution such

as in cement production, shipping and combined

heat and power generation account for substan-

tial emissions of greenhouse gases. Reduction of

energy consumption by recovering the energy in

temperature differences in these industrial set-

tings will serve to enhance energy efficiency and

reduce carbon emissions.

One of the successful outcomes of the CEM centre

was the formation of the entrepreneurial firm

TEGnology A/S. The firm’s patented technology

has great potential in, for example, the automo-

tive, shipping, biofuel and CHP industries.

First to market with thermoelectric module

“What makes our technology new and cutting

edge is the efficient energy materials we have

developed. One of the distinctive properties of

these materials is that they remain reactive at

very high temperatures – up to 400 degrees,”

says CEO Helge Holm-Larsen of TEGnology, who,

in addition to contributing his fundamental IPR

(intellectual property rights) from Aarhus Univer-

sity, has also signed a licensing agreement with

the German Aerospace Center on use of their pat-

ents for thermoelectric materials and modules.

“We are very active in the development of a com-

mercial manufacturing process for modules of

this type that are capable of generating elec-

tricity from waste heat. And we are set on being

the first to market globally with a highly energy-

efficient thermoelectric module,” says Helge

Holm-Larsen.

cold side

= Fuel economy

hot side

The new energy materials make it possible to

convert waste heat into electricity. A thermoelectric

system allows the difference in temperature be-

tween a car’s engine and exhaust to be harnessed

for generating electrical power.

Temperature difference turned into electricity

In 2012, TEGnology joined the Lysholtparken busi-

ness park in Vejle, where the integrative design

of the infrastructure and architecture creates a

setting conducive to business development, job

creation and growth.

“Lysholtparken is an ambitious cluster initiative

for an array of greentech activities,” says Helge

Holm-Larsen. “With our new base, TEGnology

has gained the setting it needs to develop the

business – and secure its growth. We are keenly

anticipating becoming part of a major business

cluster in the area.”

Appealing and individu-alised hospital meals to improve in-patient health.


Smarter hospital food to save millions — and aid recovery

Each year, Danish hospitals bin millions of

kroner worth of discarded meals. This is not

only a waste of the ingredients, the volume

of water and the energy required to produce

the huge amount of meals, it is also paradoxi-

cal, since one in three patients at the same

hospitals have problems with malnutrition. By

developing a special concept, the researchers

behind the FoodServInSPIRe project intend to

reduce food waste, make hospital food more

appealing and produce individualised meals

for patients with malnutrition.

The huge food wastage at Danish hospitals is

partly down to ineffective logistics and differing

individual patient preferences. These are just

two of the issues addressed by a research and in-

novation partnership within the FoodServInSPIRe

intervention, which aims to better utilise food and

energy resources, reduce the carbon footprint

and contribute to an enhanced cost-effective-

ness and therapeutic efficacy.

Targeted food

Within the food service sector, there is no tradi-

tion for employing evidence and research-based

methods. “There are long-standing research

traditions in targeted industrial food production,

but only limited research in hospital food,” says

sub-project manager for FoodServInSPIRe, Pro-

fessor Bent Egberg Mikkelsen, Aalborg Univer-

sity. He and his colleagues will be establishing

a model supply chain integrating patient data

and food data, along with the associated data

processing.

“We will be setting up intelligent monitoring

of hospital food flow. We want to know which

patients eat which foods, and in what quantities,

and use this information as a basis for even better

nutritional support, with a view to reducing food

waste,” says Bent Egberg Mikkelsen.

The system will link information on the patients’

nutritional status, their medical treatment and

food preferences to data on the nutritional con-

tent of meals. These data can in turn be linked to

data on the manufacturing process, including

consumption of energy and water. The overall

intervention is to result in more appealing, tar-

geted meals, less waste and improved kitchen

logistics.

Hothousing ideas

FoodServInSPIRe is a small part of the extensive

SPIR project InSPIRe, a new strategic public-

private platform for research and innovation,

which aims to enhance productivity and global

competitiveness in the Danish food sector.

FoodServInSPIRe’s research team collaborates

with both hospital staff and a range of equip-

ment suppliers such as Bent Brandt A/S and

Mettler Toledo. This allows them to better target

the research and come up with the methods and

products that are actually needed.

“We are aiming to develop the concept to have

it ready for when Denmark’s super hospitals

become a reality. We are collaborating with Aal-

borg Hospital, which already has an outstanding

innovation climate when it comes to food, mak-

ing it an excellent hothouse for new concepts,”

says Bent Egberg Mikkelsen.

Anticipating high impact

A number of suppliers of local foods – including

Himmerlandskød (meat), Aabybro Mejeri (dairy)

and Nordjysk Fødevarenetværk (food traceabil-

ity) – are also partners in the project, assisting

in supplying food with innovative narratives,

while AgroTech, a technological institute, is

helping to ensure the commercial value of the

product.

“There has been no tradition for addressing

hospital meals, in spite of the fact that they

directly influence treatment efficacy,” says Bent

Egberg Mikkelsen, who anticipates significant

health improvements in at-risk patients. In

addition, there are the cost savings in food

manufacture. “We hope our solutions will be

capable of reducing hospital food waste to half

the current level.”

About the project

FoodServInSPIRe (Integrated Modelling of Large-Scale Hospital Food Service Production Chains) is a subproject of the InSPIRe project, which in 2010 received a SPIR grant worth DKK 60m.

Calls for SPIR (Strategic Platform for Innovation and Research) funding are made jointly between the Danish Council for Strategic Research and the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation. This initiative is designed to make it more attractive for business and industry to participate in research and development activities in partnership with universities, Author-ised Technological Service Institutes – the so-called GTS institutes – and other organisations and innova-tion players with a view to translating research into innovation.

For updates, see FoodServ-InSPIRe at www.foodserv-inspire.aau.dk

http://www.foodservinspire.aau.dk

http://www.foodservinspire.aau.dk


The potato is our new super resource

Creative thinking and Danish potatoes may

come to play a key role in the development

of sufficient volumes of starchy, sustainable

biomass, which is set to be an essential in-

gredient in future production of foods, animal

feed and ingredients. With the Danish govern-

ment’s plans for farming efficiency and more

sustainable production, there is incentive

enough to make the potato plant smarter –

and a research team headed by researchers

from Aalborg University is making no small

progress in this field.

The potato of the future has many applications. It

does well in a drought. It requires no pesticides,

only a small amount of fertiliser, and it produces

huge amounts of starch. Moreover, it can be

adapted to make it ideal for a variety of end-uses,

from foods and animal feed to chemical elements.

This is the vision held by Associate Professor Kåre

Lehmann Nielsen, Aalborg University.

The farming industry faces massive challenges.

It will have to produce more foods and more

feed in response to rising population growth.

The products must be high quality, but also be

produced according to eco- and climate-friendly

criteria, and with minimal waste production.

Meanwhile, the extent of agricultural land is chal-

lenged by industrialisation, and also nature and

environmental protection requirements.

For farmers to be able to produce sufficient vol-

umes of starchy biomass by sustainable means

without more farmland, while at the same time

reducing the volume of pesticides and fertiliser,

calls for creative thinking.

Humble potato with starchy promise

There is consequently a need for high-efficiency

crops that use energy for producing exactly what

is to be used, which is why crops such as potatoes

need to be made more efficient in order for them

to yield maximum starch per hectare.

Rising to this challenge, a team of researchers

led by Kåre Lehmann Nielsen are on a mission

to develop a multipotato in the research project

entitled Developing potato into a high-efficient,

low-maintenance and multipurpose crop.

“There is already a range of potato varieties with

highly differing properties, and it is unusual in a

crop for there to be so many varietal differences.

But we haven’t even come close to making the

most of the potato’s incredible adaptation poten-

tial,” says Kåre Lehmann Nielsen. “Even the best

starch-rich potato still has a lot in common with

the waxy boiling potato, which is why it will take

a great deal of refinement to make the potato

varieties more end-use specific, and thereby

engineer them to use energy more efficiently.”

New synthesis pathway discovered

In association with two potato starch manufac-

turers, Kartoffelmelcentralen and Andelskart-

offelmelfabrikken Vendsyssel, Kåre Lehmann

Nielsen and colleagues have conducted a raft of

experiments and devised a new, effective analyt-

ical methodology. Along the way, they discovered

an unknown potato protein, which appears to be

the missing link that until then had eluded potato

refiners. The protein explains why refinement

attempts which focused on the known pathway

for starch formation, were never quite success-

ful: this is because there are two pathways of

starch synthesis and two associated proteins,

as opposed to just a single pathway and a single

protein which was the previous wisdom on which

manipulation attempts were based. And as Kåre

Lehmann Nielsen puts it: If there are two holes in a

bathtub, you either have to plug or unplug both of

them simultaneously to get a significant effect.

Kåre Lehmann Nielsen’s research team is still

looking for the gene that encodes the starch

synthesis protein. There is still potential for

doubling the starch volume in potatoes. “If we can

optimise the pathway of starch synthesis we have

now identified, then we will be able to increase

the starch volume,” says Kåre Lehmann Nielsen.

Once the genes and markers have been identi-

fied and are understood, traditional breeding

will then permit cultivation of potatoes with far

higher starch volumes than are known at present.

Moreover, in terms of disease and drought resist-

ance, a great deal of hope is being pinned on

enhanced potato varieties. And that will benefit

the starch industry, the growers, the environment

– and consumers.

The starch is

used in industry

for producing e.g.

potato starch

flour.

Reduced water

consumptionThe potatoes become more

drought-resistant so they

continue growing in dry

conditions.

Reduced pesticide use

The plant gains resistance

to the fatal potato blight

disease, which otherwise

requires constant crop

spraying.

More starchy potatoes

Starch-rich potatoes save

energy by producing less

storage protein and instead

using the same energy to

double their starch

volume.

More efficient energy distribution

The potato plant produces

more tubers instead of

expending the equivalent

energy on increasing

its foliage.

The potato of the future


Towards electricity-based transportation

One of the obstacles to the uptake of electric

vehicles is the current lack of a sufficiently

universal and functional charging system. In a

new European research project investigating

wireless inductive charging, Danish research-

ers contribute with expertise on magnetic

systems and the health aspects of electro-

magnetic fields.

There is a huge potential in electrifying the global

car fleet: reduced carbon emissions, reduced

noise and enhanced driving comfort. And yet,

electric cars are still not as common as could be

hoped. This is due to the drawbacks still associ-

ated with electric cars; for example, that they

require frequent charging. The international

WIC2IT research project – Wireless Inductive

Charging to Interoperation Testing – aims to

promote uptake of electric cars by offering easier

charging. The aim is also to support the stand-

ardisation process so that wireless charging for

different makes of electric vehicles can become a

reality in Europe.

Inconvenient charging

At present, electric cars are charged using cables

at special charging stands. This is inconvenient,

especially in winter, where it means handling large,

heavy, dirty cables. In addition, there is the safety

hazard of having cables attached to the cars, plus

the risk of the cables being vandalised. This is why

WIC2IT is working to develop a wireless charg-

ing system for electric cars. A wireless charging

system means that an electric vehicle can have

more frequent contact with the power grid by being

parked at special wireless charging stations.

“The problem is not designing a charging system

that works, because that’s easily done. The

real challenge is to design a charging system

that is just as generally and universally usable

as a petrol pump at a service station,” explains

project participant Associate Professor Søren K.

Kjærgaard from the Department of Public Health

at Aarhus University.

The project has an overall budget of EUR 5.2m,

and is financed by a total of EUR 2.3m by the

ERA-net Electromobility+, which in addition to

contributions from the 13 participating coun-

tries, including Denmark, has received subsidies

from the EU in support of research and innovation

in electrically-based transport in Europe. Danish

researchers have generally done really well in

this call. Grants were awarded to six projects

with Danish co-participation. 11 Danish part-

ners received funding worth a total of approx.

DKK 17m, of which DKK 7.5m is from the Danish

Council for Strategic Research, and DKK 9.5m

from the EU.

Interest from car manufacturers

Within the WIC2IT project, it is the Danes’ par-

ticular expertise in health aspects and electro-

magnetic fields together with power electronics

that makes them attractive partners. Research-

ers from the universities in Aalborg and Aarhus

are collaborating with the car manufacturers

Renault and Daimler.

“We have attracted the interest of the major car

manufacturers because Denmark generally has

good capability in power electronics, which is the

branch of electronics used in converting and con-

trolling energy flow in different kinds of devices

such as mobile phone chargers,” explains another

of the project participants, Associate Professor

Erik Schaltz of Aalborg University. “We have also

attracted the interest of the automotive industry

because of the Danish tax exemption on electric

cars. Meanwhile, Denmark draws a large propor-

tion of its energy from wind turbines, and there

are sound prospects for storing that energy in the

batteries of electric vehicles.”

Erik Schaltz is supervising a PhD student who will

be modelling the magnetic resonance coupling

system that will be transferring energy from

the charging station to the vehicle. “We will be

carrying out software modelling of the magnetic

coupling that will simulate reality as closely as

possible so that we can calculate the power flow

from the grid to the battery. Having done that, we

can start optimising the energy transfer.”

While Erik Schaltz is researching the energy

transfer, Søren K. Kjærgaard’s role in the project

is to assess the health-related aspects of the

system. “The studies carried out to date have

not demonstrated any particular health hazard

from this type of electromagnetic radiation,” says

Søren K. Kjærgaard. “But it is still a good idea to

carry out health studies early on while the system

is under construction.”

“The real challenge is to design a charging sys-tem that is just as generally and universally usable as a petrol pump at a service station.”

Associate Professor Søren K. Kjærgaard Department of Public Health, Aarhus University.

The future will see far more electric vehicles on the roads.

Elective blood test for elevated PSA

Individuals treated whose life was saved as a result of the test

Individuals needlessly treated

Individuals who go on to contract cancer, but whose condition is not detected by the blood test

Screening of high-risk individuals

Treatment only of patients at increased risk

Risk assessment based on DNA and family history

Number ofpeople

Current situation The future

Individuals treated 49

1

48

?

1410

Fewer individuals needlessly treated.

Fewer cases in which the disease was not detected in time.

Screening ofprostate cancer


New tests to detect aggressive cancers

Systematic screening of the population is

important in preventing high cancer mortality

rates. But when screening entire population

groups, the reliability of the screening test

itself is crucial – otherwise there is the risk of

identifying people who are not actually sick,

or of not reaching those who really are. In a

strategic research project, the researchers

have made good progress in identifying how

aggressive cases of prostate cancer can be

detected without unnecessarily pathologising

thousands who would never have developed

the disease. In another project, the research-

ers are working to develop a new screening

programme for cervical cancer, the incidence

of which is needlessly high in Denmark.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly treated

type of cancer in Denmark. However, approxi-

mately 90 per cent of men treated for the disease

have no benefit from the treatment, as the

cancer progresses so slowly that it would in all

probability not be life-threatening. Against that,

many sufferers have to endure unnecessary

side-effects, such as impotence or urinary reten-

tion. Equally, the many treatments are a great

financial burden on the health system.

The reason for this is that there is currently no

marker to determine whether or not a case of

prostate cancer is aggressive. This means that far

too many men receive unnecessary treatment, the

result of which is physical and mental suffering.

“Prostate cancer, unlike other cancers, is a puz-

zling disease. We are working to find new aggres-

siveness mechanisms in patient tissue, mice and

cells, based on state-of-the-art technologies,”

explains Professor Torben Ørntoft of Aarhus Univer-

sity Hospital, who is heading the strategic research

project entitled Molecular Prediction of Prostate

Cancer Risk and Aggressiveness (MPRAS).

Researchers in the project found a number of

major changes in the mechanisms that regu-

late genomic function in men with aggressive

prostate cancer. Aarhus University Hospital has

already taken out a patent on the first markers

found in the project, and is negotiating with a bio-

tech company on developing them for clinical use.

Costly and ineffectual test

Denmark does not operate any kind of screening

programme for prostate cancer, simply because

there is no marker reliable enough to detect the

disease. But it could be claimed that within the

past few years, Danish men have introduced their

own screening programme. They see their doc-

tor and ask to have their blood PSA (prostate-

specific antigen) tested, this being a test method

that is currently in use.

The problem is that in a great many of those

who have the disease, the PSA value is normal.

Conversely, men may also have an elevated blood

PSA value, without the doctors ever finding an

explanation for it. The situation is compounded by

the fact that many of those men, who on the basis

of an elevated PSA value are diagnosed with

prostate cancer, will never develop symptoms,

but have to live with the knowledge that they are

sick, or even elect to have their prostate gland

surgically removed, as a result of which they may

suffer potentially major adverse effects.

Currently, for every 1,410 men who have their

PSA tested, 48 men will be treated for prostate

cancer, but ‘only’ one life will be saved. It is both

mentally distressing for the men concerned and

costly for society, since e.g. a set of prostate

gland biopsies costs approx. DKK 27,000, while a

procedure to remove the prostate costs approx.

DKK 120,000. This is the reason that the project is

also working to identify a more reliable screening

technique for prostate cancer.

“We have already made good progress in identi-

fying men who are at increased risk of being

diagnosed with prostate cancer, and many

general practitioners have agreed to recruit

patients, so we are expecting results within the

year,” says Torben Ørntoft.

New test for cervical cancer

In another strategic research project, CONTROL

(Optimizing Control of Cervical Cancer), research-

ers are well ahead in the process of trialling a

range of tests as a new screening method for

cervical cancer, which will nearly eliminate the

need for the so-called smear test. The project is

led by Professor Elsebeth Lynge of the Depart-

“This study has put Denmark on the world map in HPV diagnostics for the preven-tion of cervical cancer.”

MD, Senior Consultant Carsten RygaardHvidovre Hospital’s Pathology Department


ment of Public Health at the University of Copen-

hagen, and is an alliance with the country’s lead-

ing research group in diagnostic HPV technology

at the Pathology Department, Hvidovre Hospital.

The smear test, which permits cell changes to

be detected by means of a sweep of cells around

the cervix, has been in use in Denmark since the

1960s. Yet the incidence of cervical cancer in Den-

mark remains high, as compared with that in e.g.

the other Nordic countries. This is due to a number

of factors, among other things, the high rate of

HR HPV-virus infection in the population. HR HPV

(high-risk human papilloma-virus) infection is a

sexually transmitted disease that predisposes

women to cervical cancer.

Unique business partnership

The CONTROL project is unique in that it represents

the first-ever alliance of researchers at different

public institutions and four of the world’s lead-

ing biotech firms in molecular HPV diagnostics.

The four companies have agreed to allow their

new HPV analyses and latest equipment for high

throughput of tests, to be tested against each

other in ordinary screening assays at an inde-

pendent hospital laboratory.

This aim is to determine which test is the most

reliable at identifying treatment-requiring pre-

stages of cervical cancer, and hence how these

tests may be used most effectively and economi-

cally in the Danish screening programme and

also internationally. The project holds the right to

publish the evaluation of the different HPV tests

and the companies’ technologies.

“All of the participating companies’ HPV tech-

nologies are currently marketed for screening

purposes, but when the study got underway,

they were still in the final development phase. It

has been a privilege to have access to the latest

technologies so early on in the process, which

has meant that our results are now being cited

internationally,” says MD, Senior Consultant

Carsten Rygaard of Hvidovre Hospital’s Pathol-

ogy Department.

“It also meant that we were working with com-

panies on an ongoing basis to resolve a number

of technical problems with the analysis, which is

one of the reasons why our technical expertise in

HPV testing is now leading edge. This study has

put Denmark on the world map in HPV diagnostics

for the prevention of cervical cancer. Combined

with vaccination for HPV, Danish women will be

offered a screening programme, which in terms of

technique and quality ranks among the best in the

world, and which is based on Danish results and

findings.”

The project, which is now around the midway

mark, is also unique in the sense that unlike the

majority of other international studies, it is based

on how the new HPV tests function within an

already established screening programme. This

gives the study’s results a clear picture of what

challenge a transition from smear tests to mo-

lecular HPV testing will mean for the implementa-

tion of the health service’s screening programme.

About the two projects

Molecular Prediction of Prostate Cancer Risk and Aggressiveness (MPRAS)Grant holder: Professor Torben Ørntoft, Aarhus University HospitalGrant: DKK 14.4mParticipants: Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus University, USC/Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center (USA), Shenzhen HuaDa (China), Univer-sity of Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany), CLC bio A/S

CONTROL – Optimizing Control of Cervical Cancer Grant holder: Professor Elsebeth Lynge, University of CopenhagenGrant: DKK 10.7mParticipants: University of Copenhagen, Hvidovre Hospital, Erasmus Univer-sity Medical Centre, Roche Diagnostics, Qiagen Ltd., Hologic Inc., Genomica SAU


The quality concept of the Danish Council for Strategic Research

Strategic research is subject to special quality

criteria. The Council assesses the quality on the

basis of three equivalent criteria: the relevance,

the potential impact and the quality of the

research.

The three-fold quality concept is applied both in

the evaluation of applications submitted to the

Danish Council for Strategic Research and in its

subsequent follow-up on the funded research

activities.

The relevance of the research is assessed with

respect to the extent to which it addresses the

societal challenges that form the basis for the

research theme in question.

Evaluation of the potential impact of the research

concerns its anticipated positive impacts on public

and private-sector stakeholders, including its

potential to promote economic growth and the

development of the welfare society from a global

perspective.

The quality of the research is evaluated on

the basis of the originality of the application and

projected achievements on an international scale.

Re

leva

nce

Quality of the research

Strategic quality

Potential i

mp

ac

t

The Organisation


comprised of a Board and a variable number

of programme commissions. In 2013, the Coun-

cil is composed of a board and the programme

commissions presented on the organisation chart.

Bo

ard

Programme Commission on Sustainable Energy and Environment

Programme Commission on Individuals, Disease and Society

Programme Commission on Health, Food and Welfare

Programme Commission on Transport and Infrastructure

Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies

Programme Commission on for Peace and Conflict


ChairProfessor Peter Olesen, Director, ActiFoods ApS

Professor Per Michael Johansen, Dean, Faculty of Engineering, University of Southern Denmark

Professor Ole Lehrman Madsen, Department of Computer Science, Aarhus University and Director, Alexandra Institute Ltd

Vice-chairMette Thunø, Dean, Faculty of Arts, Aarhus Universitet

Helle Westphal, Head of Department, DHI Group

Professor Børge Obel, Head of the Interdisciplinary Centre for Organi-zational Architecture, Aarhus School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University

Svend Erik Sørensen, Vice President, Danish Crown

Professor Birthe Høgh, MD, Vice-Dean for Research, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen

Professor Frede Blaabjerg, Institute of Energy Technology, Aalborg University

The Board


Per cent DKK m

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

20

15

10

5

02004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

2012

DKK m Number of PhDs

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0

300

250

200

150

100

50

02004

20052006

20072008

20092010

20112012

20042005

20062007

20082009

20102011

2012

Key figures — grants*

Total grants*

The figures for grants allocated by the Danish Coun-

cil for Strategic Research Council do not correspond

exactly with the annual allocations under the Na-

tional Budget, as some applications are considered

in the year preceding the year in which the alloca-

tions are made under the National Budget. In 2012,

the Council awarded grants to 33 strategic research

centres, alliances and projects totalling DKK 580m.

Success rate

The success rate, that is, the percentage of the

total funding amount applied for that was granted

by the Council, varied between 13 and 28 per cent.

Average grant size

The average grant size in 2012 was DKK 17.6m.

Research training

The Danish Council for Strategic Research co-

funds a large number of PhD grants. The number

of PhDs is the total number of PhD students

participating in the funded research activity.

*Excluding international grants. See separate figures for international grants.

of the 33 grants awarded by the Council in 2012 had binding partnerships with international partners.


DKK m

20092010

20112012

0

40

30

20

10

Brasilien

Indien

Kina

DKK m

6

4

2

0

ERA-net: Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)

ERA-net: Coordination of ICT and Robotics in Agriculture and Related Environmental Issues (ICT-AGRI)

ERA-net: ELECTROMOBILITY+

Joint Programming Initiative for Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND)

Joint-Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI)

Joint Programming Initiative — Urban Europe

8

Bilateral grants

In 2012, the Danish Council for Strategic Research

awarded bilateral grants in collaboration with

China, India and Brazil.

Totally, approx. DKK 40m has been awarded to

Danish participants in bilateral projects.

Joint European Grants

The Danish Council for Strategic Research par-

ticipates in a number of joint European research

collaborations – ERA-net and Joint Programming

Initiatives. In 2012, the Council awarded approx.

DKK 33m to Danish participants in joint European

projects.

Key figures — international grants

Funding recipients 2012

The Danish Council for Strategic Research funds research

within those areas in which the Danish Parliament makes

annual allocations. In 2012, the Council awarded funding

worth a total of DKK 650m.



In 2012, the Programme Commission on Sus-

tainable Energy and Environment awarded

approx. DKK 220m for strategic research

under the themes of “Energy and Environment

— Energy Systems of the Future” and “Environ-

mental technology”.

Significant societal challenges

in this research area

Denmark is to be future-proofed by creating a

sustainable growth economy and switching to

energy and transport systems wholly based on

renewable energy by 2050, in which the reliabil-

ity of energy supply, climate and environmental

considerations and cost-efficiency are the main

pillars. The challenge consists of developing

energy-efficient, intelligent and climate-friendly

technologies capable of reducing greenhouse

gas emissions and other forms of pollution, and

of reducing dependence on fossil fuels, and, in so

doing, also improving reliability of supply.

The research shall promote improvements

in which economic growth does not result in

increasing negative environmental impacts, and

where the focus is on a renewable, intelligent and

environmentally sustainable energy system. Re-

search efforts must also support the capacity for

business and industry to capitalise on the major

future market potentials in the field of climate,

energy and environment.

Energy and Environment — Energy Systems of the Future

Bio Chain – Optimisation of value chains for biogas production in DenmarkProfessor Sven Gjedde Sommer,

University of Southern Denmark

Grant: DKK 19.6m (total budget: DKK 24.7m)

UserTEC – User practices, technologies and residential energy compsumptionSenior researcher Kirsten Gram-Hanssen,

Danish Building Research Institute, Aalborg

University


ENOVHEAT – Efficient novel magnetocaloric heat pumpsSenior researcher Christian Bahl,

Technical University of Denmark


4M Centre – Mechanisms, materials, manufacturing and management – interdisciplinary fundamental research to promote commercialization of HT-PEMFCAssociate professor Qingfeng Li,


Grant: DKK 31.0m (total budget DKK 43.6m)

ALPBES – Advanced lifetime predictions of battery energy storageProfessor Søren Knudsen Kær,

Aalborg University



Environmental Technology

CAT-C – Clean-air-technologies by development of new catalystsProfessor Flemming Besenbacher,

Aarhus University


LaGas – Diagnostics, monitoring and mitigation of N2O (laughing gas) emissions from wastewater treatment operations: towards climate compatible wastewater technologyProfessor Barth F. Smets,



NOVAGRASS – Innovative eelgrass restoration techniquesAssociate professor Erik Kristensen,


Grant: DKK 14.1m (total budget: 26.9m)

NACORR – New alloy catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction in proton exchange membrane fuel cellsProfessor Ib Chorkendorff,



5s – Future electricity marketsAssociate professor Pierre Pinson,


Grant: DKK 11.0m (total budget: 15.3m)

CHALSOL Chalcogenide solar cells of CZTS – Copper zinc tin sulfide – a new, high-efficiency material for low-tech solar cells of earth-abundant and environmentally friendly elementsSenior researcher Jørgen Ingolf Schou,



SYMBIO – Integration of biomass and wind power for biogas enhancement and upgrading via hydrogen assisted anaerobic digestionProfessor Irini Angelidaki,



ASHBACK – Ash from biofuel from energy plants back to the area where grown; ecotoxicological censequencesProfessor Søren Christensen,

University of Copenhagen




In 2012, the Programme Commission on

Health, Food and Welfare awarded approx.

DKK 168m for strategic research under the

themes of “Connection between Food, Health

and Lifestyle”, “Bioresources, Food and other

Biological Products” and “Food”.



Global changes in the natural environment and

the climate, but also in societal and economic

dimensions, are posing a mounting challenge in

securing adequate supplies of food, feed, en-

ergy, materials and water for the growing world

population. There is consequently a need to

develop more efficient and competitive biological

production that promotes health, the production

of appetising quality foods, consumer protec-

tion, animal welfare and a clean environment and

which in combination serve to realise the goals

defined within sustainable production.

Realisation of this vision holds considerable

societal and commercial potential, not least in

the international arena, and will thereby be a

significant driver for growth and development.

Connection between Food, Health and Lifestyle

NEOMUNE – Early milk and microbiota to stimulate later immunity Professor Per Torp Sangild,



ProbiComp – The effect of probiotics in re-ducing infections and allergic manifestations in young children during the complementary feeding periodProfessor Kim Fleischer Michaelsen,



ELIN – The effect of enterolignans in chronic diseaseSenior researcher Anja Viendahl Olsen,

The Danish Cancer Society


TRIM – Transcobalamin in milk and optimal vitamin B12 uptake

Senior researcher Christian Würtz Heegaard,

Aarhus University




Bioresources, Food and other Biological Products

ProAqua – Reducing antibiotic use in marine larviculture by a novel combinatory probiotic strategyProfessor Lone Gram,



REMRUM – Reduction of methane emissions from dairy cows and concurrent improve-ment of feed efficiency obtained through host genetics and next generation sequencing of rumen microbiomeSenior researcher Peter Løvendahl,

Aarhus University


GenSAP – Centre for genomic selection in animals and plantsSenior researcher Mogens Sandø Lund,

Aarhus University


Food

EvoPPM – Evolution-proof pest management Associate Professor Michael Hassing Kristensen,

Aarhus University


DNMARK – Danish nitrogen mitigation assessment: research and know-how for a sustainable, low-nitrogen food production Senior researcher Tommy Dalgaard,

Aarhus University




In 2012, the Programme Commission on Indi-

viduals, Disease and Society awarded a total

of approx. DKK 55m for strategic research

under the theme “Clinical Research”.



Denmark faces a number of challenges in the

health area. Disease causes great distress for

the individual, and health service spending is of

great economic significance. Patients must be

assured of a high standard of treatment, and the

organisation of the health service must guaran-

tee patients maximum efficacy of treatment.

The challenge consists both of preventing

disease and of individualising the treatment

of patients. Only through individualised treat-

ment is it possible to progress to the next stage

of development and avoid the consequences of

overmedication and mismedication: injury and

damage, side effects and high costs for both the

individual and society.

Clinical Research

LOOP – Atrial fibrillation detected by con-tinuous ECG monitoring using implantable loop recorder to prevent stroke in high-risk individuals. Professor Jesper Hastrup Svendsen,

Rigshospitalet


CLEAR – Finding a cure for HIV infection: eradication of the latent reservoirProfessor Lars Jørgen Østergaard,

Aarhus University Hospital


PAUSE – Phenotypes in alcohol use disorders. A multidisciplinary approach to improve diagnosis, understanding and treatment of patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD)Chief physician Ulrik Becker,

University of Southern Denmark (National

Institute of Public Health) and Gastroenheden,

Hvidovre Hospital.


Non-sedation versus a daily wake-up trial in critically ill patientsProfessor Palle Toft,

Odense University Hospital




In 2012, the Programme Commission on Stra-

tegic Growth Technologies awarded a total

of approx. DKK 83m for strategic research

under the theme “Nanotechnology, Biotech-

nology and Information and Communication

Technology”.



The development and application of new tech-

nologies such as nanotechnology, biotechnology,

synthesis biology, materials technology and

information and communication technology are

key drivers of productivity improvements and

economic growth generally. The challenge lies in

developing and applying the technologies for the

development of new, innovative and competitive

products and processes, while instilling public

confidence in the use of new technologies. At the

same time, the technologies may potentially pave

the way for new solutions to key challenges facing

society in areas such as energy, food, environ-

ment, health and education, while they may also

form the basis for commercial development.

Moreover, combining technologies holds great

potential in relation to e.g. the development of the

bio-based economy.

Nanotechnology, Biotech-nology and Information and Communication Technology

DA-GATE – Danish alliance of graphene application technology and engineeringAssociate Professor Peter Bøggild,



Plant Power – Light-driven synthesis of complex terpenoids using cytochrome P450sProfessor Poul Erik Jensen,



APCGlyVac – Production of APC targeted allergy vaccinesAssociate Professor Hans H. Wandall,



CARMEN – Center for advanced robotic manufacturing engineeringProfessor Henrik Gordon Petersen,



e-space – Enhanced spatial light control in advanced optical fibresProfessor Toshio Morioka,



Programme Commission on Strategic Growth Technologies



SPIR

In 2012, the Programme Commission on Peace

and Conflict awarded DKK 15m for strategic

research under the theme “Peace and Conflict

Research”.



The research within the area is to strengthen the

basis for Denmark to contribute with non-military

solutions to current international conflicts. The

research can address e.g. conflict prevention, con-

flict management and resolution as well as preven-

tive efforts to forestall the escalation of conflicts.

In 2012, the Danish Council for Strategic Re-

search and the Danish Council for Technology

and Innovation awarded a grant of DKK 79.5m

for a SPIR under the theme “The Bio-based

Economy”.

SPIR (Strategic Platforms for Innovation and

Research) is an initiative to make it more attrac-

tive for business and industry to participate in

research and development activities with the

Danish universities, approved technological

service institutes and other enterprises and in-

novation stakeholders.

Peace and Conflict Research

CRIC – Centre for resolution of international conflictsProfessor Ole Wæver,


Grant: DKK 15.5m

(total budget: DKK 26.5m)

The Bio-based Economy

BIO-VALUE – Value-added products from bio-massUniversity of Copenhagen

(contact: Professor Jan K. Schjørring)

Grant: DKK 79.5m

Thereof: The Danish Council for Strategic Re-

search: DKK 39.5m and The Danish Council for

Technology and Innovation: DKK 40.0m

(Expected total budget: DKK 150.0m)

Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict


Bilateral funding

In 2012, the Danish Council for Strategic Re-

search granted approx. DKK 40m for bilateral

cooperation with the BRIC countries Brazil,

India and China. The funding was awarded

by the programme commissions within the

respective areas.

Cooperation with China within Sustainable Energy and Environment

OffWindChina – Research and development of optimal wind turbine rotors under offshore wind conditions in ChinaAssociate professor Wen Zhong Shen,


Grant: DKK 6.0m

(total Danish budget: DKK 8.2m)

DANCNGAS – Development and application of circulating fluidized bed gasification of biomass

Professor Kim Dam-Johansen,


Grant: DKK 6.5m


Cooperation with Brazil within Health, Food and Welfare

Improving food safety by eliminating pathogens in mixed biofilmsProfessor Lone Kirsten Gram,


Grant: DKK 3.4m


Meat-Cross-Con – Meat safety: An innovative modelling approach to evaluate microbial pathogen transfer and cross contamination from farm to forkSenior researcher Søren Aabo,


Grant: DKK 4.9m


GIFT: Genomic Improvement of fertilization traits in Danish and Brazilian cattleProfessor Haja Kadarmideen,


Grant: DKK 6.1m


Cooperation with India within Individuals, Disease and Society

idMALVAC – Establishing immunological correlates of protection against malaria vac-cine candidates using functional bioassays and proteomic deciphering of host-parasite interactionsDr. med. Michael Scheel Theisen,

Statens Serum Institut

Grant: DKK 6.9m


MicrobDiab – Studies of interactions between the gut microbiome and the human host biolo-gy to elucidate novel aspects of the pathophys-iology and pathogenesis of type 2 diabetesProfessor Oluf Borbye Pedersen,


Grant: DKK 6.1m


Programme Commission on Peace and Conflict


Joint European Grants


participates in a number of joint European

research collaborations – ERA-net and Joint

Programming Initiatives. In 2012, the Council

awarded approx. DKK 33m to Danish partici-

pants in joint European projects.

Joint-Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change (FACCE-JPI)

A detailed climate change risk assessment for European agriculture and food securityProfessor Jørgen E. Olesen,

Aarhus University

Professor John Roy Porter,


Grant: DKK 7.5m


Joint Programming Initiative – Urban Europe

CONCOORD – Consolidation and coordination in urban areasAssociate professor Allan Larsen,


Grant: DKK 1.9m


APRILab – Action oriented planning, regula-tion and investment dilemmas for innovative urban development in living lab experiences Research Director Hans Thor Andersen,

Aalborg University

Grant: DKK 2.3m


ERA-net: Coordination of ICT and Robotics in Agriculture and Related Environmental Issues (ICT-AGRI)

USER-PA – Usability of environmentally sound and reliable techniques in precision agricultureAssociate professor Søren Marcus Pedersen,


Grant: DKK 1.1m.


ITApic – Application of information technologies in precision apiculture Associate professor Peter Ahrendt,

Aarhus University

Grant: DKK 1.5m



Joint Programming Initiative for Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND)

BIOMARKAPD – Biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s diseaseProfessor Gunhild Waldemar,

Rigshospitalet

Head of Division Niels Henrik Helweg Heegaard,

Statens Serum Institut

Grant: DKK 3.4m

(total Danish budget: 3.4m)

ERA-net: ELECTROMOBILITY+

COMPETT – Competitive electric town transportSenior researcher Hans Christian Bendtsen,

The Danish Road Directorate

Grant: DKK 1.8m


EV-STEP – Sustainable technical and economic pathways for electrified mobility systems in EU27 by 2030Senior researcher Poul Erik Grohnheit,


Grant: DKK 1.2m


FCCP-APU – Fuel cell operating on conventional fuels as auxiliary power unit for electrical vehiclesChief Technology Officer Mads Bang,

SERENERGY A/S

Chief Technology Officer Thomas Steenberg,

Danish Power Systems ApS

Grant: DKK 3.2m


WIC2IT – Wireless inductive charging to interoperation testingAssociate professor Søren Kjærgaard,

Aarhus University

Associate professor Erik Schaltz,

Aalborg University

Grant: DKK 6.4m (total Danish budget: DKK 9.1m)

NEMO – Novel e-mobility grid modelHead of Energy Systems Anders Nielsen

Andersen, EMD International A/S

Manager Jesper Skovhus Andersen,

Ringkøbing Fjernvarmeværk amba.

Manager Jacob Møller, Ringkøbing Amts

Højspændings-forsyning amba.


SELECT – Suitability of electromobilityProject manager Anders Vedsted Nørrelund,


Head of Development Ole Martin Alm,

CLEVER A/S


Grants to Electromobility+ include DKK 9.7m EU funding.

ERA-net: Industrial Biotechnology 2 (ERA-IB2)

SCILS – Systematic considerations of inhomogeneity at the large scale: towards a stringent development of industrial bioprocesses Assistant Manager Kjeld Raunkjær Kjeldsen,

Vitalys I/S

Grant: DKK 1.0m


CONTIbugs – Overcoming metabolic stochasticity and population dynamics in microbial cell factories Professor Søren Molin,


Grant: DKK 2.6m


CESBIC – Critical enzymes for sustainable biofuels from celluloseAssociate professor Leila Lo Leggio,


Science Manager Katja S. Johansen,

Novozymes A/S

Grant: DKK 3.8m (total Danish budget: 5.7m)

MICROTOOLS – Microscale downstream processing toolbox for screening and process developmentPartner Bent Svanholm,

Svanholm.com


The Danish Council for Strategic Research is served by a secretariat within the Danish Agency

for Science, Technology and Innovation. The secre-

tariat will be pleased to provide further information

concerning the individual programmes and Danish

strategic research in general.

The website www.fivu.dk/en/dsf provides contact

details for the individual members of staff, by

research area.

Secretariat

Publisher:The Danish Council for Strategic Research

Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation

March 2013

Design: e-Types/India

Photos: Tuala Hjarnø

Printed by: Dystan

Circulation: 2.000

ISSN: 1903-0061

ISSN (internet): 1903-007X

This publication is available on the website of

the Danish Council for Strategic Research:

www.fivu.dk/en/dsf

The print version of this publication is supplied free

of charge, while stocks last, on application to:

Rosendahls-Schultz Grafisk

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http://www.rosendahls-schultzgrafisk.dk

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The Danish Council for Strategic Research, Annual Report 2012/2013

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