DANISH INNOVATION CENTRES ABROAD - YOUR SHORTCUT TO KNOWLEDGE, EXPERT HELP AND HIGHLY QUALIFIED PEOPLE
AALBORG • ESBJERG • COPENHAGEN
Danish Innovation Centres Abroad AAU Matchmaking partners with Innovation Centres in Silicon Valley, USA; Shanghai, China; and Munich, Germany. The collaboration aims to offer companies, researchers and other interested parties access to international markets and partners in environments where innovation and creative thinking are top priorities. Each innovation centre has certified matchmakers who are in close contact with the Matchmaking secretariat, and can provide support and assistance in developing contacts.
What is an innovation centre? An innovation centre is a Danish agency abroad, assisting Danish companies and researchers who would like access to international sources of innovation. Thus far, innovation centres have been established in Silicon Valley, USA; Shanghai, China; and Munich, Germany. The centres are established through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Trade Council and the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. The centres are staffed with employees from the two ministries as well as a number of local employees in research, innovation and investment promotion. Who can get assistance from the Danish Innovation Centres abroad? Danish companies, researchers, organizations, networks and others can use the Danish Innovation Centres abroad to obtain access to international sources of innovation. The centres will assist with finding partners, networks, technology, knowledge and venture capital. The centres will also do market analysis, assess business plans or consult on establishment. The centres provide assistance in the planning and implementation of customized delegation visits. Innovation centres are especially aimed at Danish companies, research institutions and organizations/government authorities who are prepared to launch innovation driven activities abroad in ICT, Life Science and Clean Tech.
What does it cost? Payment for the individual commercial services that innovation centres provide is calculated in accordance with the Trade Council guidelines for user fees, (DKK 815 per hour, as of January 1, 2011). The centres also offer a range of free services - particularly in relation to the activities of Danish research institutions. For example, they assist with contacts to international research networks, organizing workshops and conferences with the participation of Danish and foreign researchers in promising research areas, as well as disseminating information on the latest trends and opportunities for collaboration, free of charge. This occurs in particular through outreach visits at Danish universities and the publication of free newsletters and blogs. The centres also organize various events to attract talented international researchers and students to Denmark. Can the purchase of innovation centres services be subsidized? It is possible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to subsidize the purchase of consulting from innovation centres. Grants are provided through Innovation Packages or Innovation Camps.
Grants through Innovation Packages Companies with fewer than 50 employees and an annual turnover below DKK 50 million can apply for grants through Innovation Packages. An Innovation Package could for example include: › Assessment of a business plan through sparring, review boards and networks › Market assessment of technologies, inventions and competitors › Mapping of and matching with potential research and innovation partners › Access to venture capital through introductions, map- ping, consulting and networking An Innovation Package includes 25 hours of consulting on a specific market, subsidized at 50%. Read more on Innovation Packages on um.dk/en/tradecouncil/ under The Trade Council: Services > Get off to a good start > Innovation or contact the Trade Council at tel. +45 3392 0500 for further information.
Grants for joint Innovation Camps An Innovation Camp is a focused consulting and networking activity for a group of small and medium-sized companies. The camp can be planned and implemented in conjunction with innovation centres or other agencies of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs abroad.
Preparation of applications and participating Danish companies’ individual costs such as their own marketing material are not subsidized. There is also no financial support for travel and accommodation costs. Contact the Trade Council at tel. +45 3392 0500 for further information on Innovation Camps.
Innovation Camps are directed at businesses, public or private organizations or to a single company that can act as the coordinator of a specific camp on behalf of a group of at least five companies. The Trade Council subsidizes an Innovation Camp at up to 50% of the joint costs connected to conducting the camp.
What have others done? Several Danish companies have already used innovation centre services. See a few examples below – and more on the Trade Council website um.dk/en/tradecouncil/
Danish pharmaceutical company finds innovation partner in China
Danish electronics company finds investors in the U.S.
The innovation centre in Shanghai assisted a Danish pharmaceutical company with the following:
A Danish company that develops acoustic products for private homes found investors with assistance from the innovation centre in Silicon Valley. The innovation centre helped with the following:
A partner search for contract research institutions in China to assist with basic research and preclinical testing. Result: The pharmaceutical company has now established a long-term collaboration with two partners from Shanghai. The company notes that working with the innovation centre saved a lot of time and allowed for peace of mind in the process because the centre has a good sense of the Chinese market. The director further notes that he will definitely use the centre again.
Assessment of the company’s business plan and preparing the company for presentation of the business plan to potential investors as well as introduction of the company to networks. Result: The company’s previous investors became convinced of the company’s potential and offered follow-up investment. The company notes that without the help of the innovation centre it probably would have waited with the U.S. market and might have never really gotten into it.
Innovation race in Shanghai Activity: In 2009, the innovation centre in Shanghai conducted a 48-hour “innovation race” where a number of Chinese students competed with researchers from a large Danish company’s local development unit to find solutions to a range of problems in water and energy. Purpose: The project was the final part of the innovation centre´s Chinese Talent Development program launched in 2008 and was designed to test the skills that the program participants were introduced to in two previous modules.
Result: The process generated approximately 200 ideas that eventually resulted in two proposals for solutions. The Danish company ended up making use of the two solutions and also established contacts to relevant universities in China as part of the project.
Contact For innovation centre consulting, contact the centres directly. Contact information is available on the centres websites: Innovation Centre Denmark, Silicon Valley: http://icdk.um.dk/en/about-us/innovationcentres/siliconvalley/ Innovation Centre Denmark, Shanghai: http://icdk.um.dk/en/about-us/innovationcentres/shanghai/ Innovation Centre Denmark, Munich: http://icdk.um.dk/en/about-us/innovationcentres/munich/ For general information regarding the innovation centres, contact the Trade Council at tel. +45 3392 0500 or the Danish Agency for Science, Technology and Innovation at tel. +45 3544 6200. General information regarding the centres is also available on the Trade Council website um.dk/en/tradecouncil/ under The Trade Council: Services > Get off to a good start > Innovation