DTU Skylab Digital will be a new meeting place and melting pot for digital innovation and startups in The Capital Region.
Four universities are joining forces to create a new innovation environment, DTU Skylab Digital, for digital development, co-creation projects and startups in The Capital Region. The collaboration consists of DTU Compute, The IT University of Copenhagen, CBS and The Department of Computer Science at The University of Copenhagen, DIKU. More than 150 students, startup projects and business partners from companies, public institutions and universities participated in the opening at DTU Skylab.
“It is amazing that four universities are behind the new initiative, which gives digital innovation a position as prominent as the mechanic prototype workshops at DTU Skylab. We would like to transfer DTU Skylab experiences with co-creation in an open innovation environment to the entire digital area,”said Marianne Thellersen Senior Vice President for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at DTU.
She emphasized that DTU Skylab Digital will have a special focus on AI and ethical aspects, the development and safe use of internet technology, IoT, and the development of blockchain as a tracking technology. The new environment comes strongly from the start with the hiring of 12 postdocs, who will spend 20 percent of their time in the new innovation environment.
Hub for digital innovation
At the opening, ten of the most successful startups from the innovation environment at DTU presented technologies in DTU Skylab's Open Space. And in a panel debate, the partners from the four universities presented their wishes for the collaboration.
“Our hope is that the new hub will strengthen digital innovation and research. We have many overlapping projects today, but if we collaborate and instead use the resources to strengthen education and collaboration with companies, then we will stand much stronger together, ”said Mads Nielsen, head of Department at DIKU.
Philippe Bonnet from The IT University of Copenhagen wanted the collaboration in DTU Skylab Digital to be the starting point for the development of several digital laboratories, which he considers to promote collaboration and strengthen the development of digital innovation in Denmark.
In addition to the collaboration between the universities, DTU Skylab Digital can draw on all DTU institutes and utilize established networks such as Neural AI, Digi-Talks, Nordic AI.
DTU Skylab Digital was created with support from The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, The Danish Business Authority, The Capital Region, The Danish Industry Foundation and co-financing from the four universities.