New maritime research centre opens at SDU

Across SDU, nearly 100 researchers are working within the maritime field. Their research ranges from green fuels and robotic solutions to maritime law, health at sea, literature and history.

Today, many of these researchers have limited opportunities to collaborate closely. A new interdisciplinary research centre, supported by the Danish Maritime Fund, aims to change that.

The centre is called SDU Maritime Centre and will operate as a kind of "virtual research centre". This is explained by Marie Lützen, Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and head of the new centre.

- We will not be constructing a new building where everyone will be based. Instead, the centre will bring together maritime research activities across the different faculties. It will strengthen collaboration between researchers while also highlighting SDU's position as a leading maritime university, says Marie Lützen.

Creating stronger links across disciplines

SDU's maritime research and educational activities are currently spread across five faculties. The centre will create stronger links between academic disciplines and make it easier to develop new projects within research, innovation and education.

- The maritime centre will create greater cohesion within SDU. By improving collaboration across disciplines, we will also increase our opportunities to develop more research, innovation and education projects that can create value for Blue Denmark, says Jens Ringsmose, Rector of the University of Southern Denmark.

A single point of access to SDU's maritime expertise

For companies and other external partners, SDU Maritime Centre will provide a single point of access to the university's maritime knowledge and expertise.

- We have sometimes found that people coming from outside the university have struggled to identify which door they should knock on. I can understand that when our maritime research is spread across five faculties, says Jens Ringsmose, adding:

- Our ambition is for the centre to serve as a one-stop shop for maritime knowledge, where industry can find answers, establish collaborations and gain access to researchers working across the entire maritime field.

Student startups and robotics research also receive support

In addition to the new maritime centre, the Danish Maritime Fund is supporting two other SDU projects in its second funding round of the year: maritime incubation grants for student startups and a new research project at LSP (Large Structure Production) focusing on robotic laser-hybrid welding. The technology could play an important role in making future shipbuilding more competitive.

For SDU, student startups are an important part of the effort to create a stronger pipeline of innovation projects for Blue Denmark.

- We are now giving maritime entrepreneurship particular priority and establishing a dedicated track for maritime student startups. We hope this will increase students' interest in the maritime sector and, in the longer term, contribute to the creation of new maritime companies, says Jens Ringsmose.

Alongside the grants, maritime students will gain access to mentoring, business development, workshops and specialised guidance through SDU's innovation and entrepreneurship environment, Startup Station.

An important sector for SDU and Denmark

Through the new maritime projects, SDU aims to bring the university's research, education and innovation environment closer to a sector that plays a central role in Danish industry.

- The maritime sector is exceptionally important to Denmark, and it must remain so in the future. SDU exists to help create growth, development and jobs in a sector of such great importance to Denmark, says Jens Ringsmose.

The Danish Maritime Fund welcomes SDU's maritime ambitions.

- SDU plays an important role in developing the maritime solutions of the future. We are pleased that SDU acted on our suggestion to establish a maritime centre. With the new centre and the other projects, the university is taking an important step towards bringing together and strengthening its maritime activities, allowing even more knowledge and new solutions to benefit Blue Denmark, says Lotte G. Lundberg from the Danish Maritime Fund.