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Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation

 

The Danish government aims at making Denmark one of the world’s leading advanced-technological societies.

 

Consequently, the Danish government has founded the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, whose general objective is to enhance growth and strengthen employment by supporting strategic and advanced technological priorities within the fields of research and innovation. Furthermore, the foundation shall make a special effort to promote research and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises.

 

Download

Annual Report 2008, (pdf)

Annual Report 2007  (pdf)

Annual Report 2006  (pdf)

Annual Report 2005  (pdf)

 

Areas of support

All projects which are relevant to advanced technological research and/or innovation may apply for grants. The foundation will pay special attention to applications which fall within the areas of nano-, bio-, and/or information and communication technology, including the interface between these areas. Furthermore, the project proposals must show that the projects cannot be carried out, would be less ambitious, or would not be carried out within the same time frame, without financial support.

 

Criteria

The Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation will support selected fields and  technologically advanced projects or consortiums which have a range of participants that will contribute financial means in varying degrees. The projects and consortiums that receive support must live up to three criteria:

  • Noticeable commercial potential
  • Technology transfer
  • Public-private cooperation

i.e. at least one public research institution and one private enterprise must participate. Furthermore, public enterprises and Centres for higher Education may participate.

 

The foundation attaches importance to whether or not the participating parties have the necessary means at their disposal in order to carry out a major project. All applications must be accompanied by a binding cooperation agreement signed by the top management of the parties (e.g. the rector, as regards universities).   

 

UK General terms and conditions here

 

Evaluation

All grants must be awarded on the basis of an evaluation of scientific quality and industrial relevance. For this evaluation, the executive committee may choose to appoint its own advisory expert subcommittees, but scientific research evaluation is to be made by the Danish Research Advisory System or the Danish National Research Foundation. The executive committee may choose to transfer means to the Danish Council for Strategic Research and/or the Danish Council for Technology and Innovation in order to strengthen related initiatives or initiatives that have already been introduced.

 

The volume of the Danish National Advanced-Technology Foundation

The Advanced-Technology Foundation’s capital will be built up gradually in 2005-2012. In 2012, the aim for the foundation is for it to have capital of DKK 16 billion.

 

In the annual Budget of 2005, the Danish government and the Danish People’s Party have secured DKK 3 billion for the foundation’s seed capital and approximately DKK 200 million for distribution in 2005. In the annual Budget of 2006 the foundation’s seed capital was increased up to DKK 5 billion in total. In 2006 200 million kroner will be given in support from the Foundation.

 

The executive committee of the Advanced-Technology Foundation

31 March 2005, the Danish Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation, Mr Helge Sander, appointed the executive committee of the Advanced-Technology Foundation. The executive committee is independent and holds nine members, who represent the business sector and the research community. Mr Jørgen Mads Clausen, president and chief executive officer of Danfoss, has been appointed chairman of the executive committee. The executive committee is responsible for the yearly allocation of the foundation’s means.

 

Board:

  • Jørgen Mads Clausen (chairman), Chairman, Danfoss A/S
  • Klaus Bock, Professor, former Vice President for Research, Carlsberg A/S
  • Frede Blaabjerg, Professor and Rector, University of Aalborg
  • Anja Boisen Professor, NanoSystems Engineering at DTU Nanotec
  • Ulla Brockenhuus-Schack CEO DTU Symbion Innovation
  • Kirsten Drejer CEO Symphogen
  • Jukka Pertola, Administrative Director and CEO, Siemens A/S
  • Conni Simonsen Group vice president, Grundfos Management
  • Michael Stevns, Deputy Managing Director, Danish Agriculture & Food Council

 

Research institutions within the public administration

include universities, Government Research Institutions, research-performing hospitals, research institutions under the Danish Ministry of Culture, and other public research institutions.

 

According to the Act’s definition of “registered in Denmark”, all enterprises and research institutions, Danish as well as foreign, may participate in the priorities and projects supported by the Advanced-Technology Foundation, but the party who will receive and administrate the foundation’s support on behalf of the priority or project must be registered in Denmark. Foreign enterprises and research institutions may also participate as sub-contractors in a priority or project.

 

Authorised technological service institutes are classified as private enterprises.SME, i.e. small and medium-sized enterprises, are defined as enterprises which employ fewer than 250 people and have an annual turnover that does not exceed EUR 50 million or an annual balance sheet total that does not exceed EUR 43 million. In addition to this, a criterium of the enterprise’s autonomy is included in the definiton. In order to further define small and medium-sized enterprises, please follow this EU-link:

http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2003/l_124/l_12420030520en00360041.pdf

(You may pay special attention to Title I in the annex to the Commission’s recommendation of 6 May 2003 about the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (2003/361/EC)

The application must include a signed declaration from the SME enterprises, verifying that they come within the EU’s definition of small and medium-sized enterprises.

 

Intellectual property rights and publication of research results

All intellectual property rights, which can be obtained on the basis of projects financially supported by the foundation, will, according to the Act on the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation, fall to the participating public research institution(s) and Centres for Advanced Education respectively. The enterprises that participate may obtain these rights on ordinary market terms. To ensure clarity right from the beginning, all applications must be accompanied by an agreement concerning the conditions for the private party’s – or parties’ – potential use and/or acquisition of intellectual property rights, including a clarification of whether the co-financing of the private parties is included when fixing the payment.

Research results are published according to the acts at present, cf. e.g. the principles of §2, subsection 2 and 3, in the Danish Act on Universities and §9 in the Danish Act on Government Research Institutions and §10 in the Danish Act on inventions at public research institutions.

 

Support to development activities

Expectedly, most of the priorities and projects will include research and/or innovation activities. However, in some cases, grants may be given to development activities.

If the priorities include development activities, e.g. demonstration projects, the foundation’s support may amount to 25% of the expenses of the participating enterprises within the major advanced-technological priorities. In relation to SME-oriented projects, development activities may receive financial support up to 35%.

 

Expenses entitled to grants

 The types of expenses which may receive grants are listed below:

• Expenses for personnel, including PhDs, who contribute to the activities.

• Expenses for lasting material (equipment and instruments) which are used permanently for the activities.

• Expenses for consultants and services which concern the activities only, including the purchase of research, technical knowledge, patents etc.

• Other overheads which stem directly from the activities

• Other operating expenses (e.g. materials, supplies or the like which are directly connected to the activities).

Please note that applications for holding congresses, initiatives of communication, applications from individuals for project support, single scholarships and travel expenses etc. do not fall under the aim of the foundation.

 

Administration and management

One of the parties receives and administrates the foundation’s support on behalf of the project. Furthermore, a management team is to be established between the parties, and the management of the foundation will participate in follow-up meetings. The foundation may reclaim means if the conditions for receiving means are not complied with.

A steering group will be established and a manager and a management team appointed for the priority. The management of the Advanced-Technology Foundation and one or more members of the executive committee participate in the steering group, taking into consideration the members’ capacity to act.

 

 

 

For the year 2010 the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation has DKK 520m for distribution.

 

Advanced technology projects can right now apply for grants from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation for an amount of between DKK 2.5-75m.

 

Deadline for submitting an expression of interest is 27 August 2010 at 12:00 noon.

 

Find the Call on projects here.

 

Find the call on platforms here.