Director Of Enterprise And Innovation: With More Funding For Innovation Come Higher Expectations

Aarhus University's startup hub, The Kitchen, changes its name and address after six years. However, the moving boxes had to be dragged only a few hundred meters from the old central kitchen to the new premises in the old laundry in University Town. Here, the director of Enterprise and Innovation at Aarhus University, Lone Ryg Olsen, is giving a tour. You can still see traces of the old industrial laundry, which provided clean sheets and white coats for the municipal hospital, but instead of large boilers and piles of laundry, today there are meeting rooms, a café, offices and event spaces. 

“The Kitchen was a small offshoot at the university that did really well, but we're no longer an offshoot. Now we are moving into the heart of the university physically, but also in the mission of the university. It's a huge shift. Earlier, we were experimenting, but now we have to make a lot of effort to become a place that both students and researchers from across the university can see the value of,” Lone Ryg Olsen says.

The change is marked in the name by swiping 'The' and adding Aarhus Universitet — Kitchen Aarhus Universitet, in everyday usage ‘Kitchen’.

Where The Kitchen used to be surrounded by construction sites, they’re now moving up in the northern part of University Town, which is really taking shape as AU's new campus, and where three institutes and parts of the administration are already housed. Here, Kitchen will have a more visible presence, in line with the government’s and university's desire for a greater focus on innovation. More funding has been allocated for innovation in the research reserve funds, and Aarhus University wants Kitchen to help drive innovation and entrepreneurship to an even greater extent. The business director's ambitions are subsequently:

“Now there are more funds, but also more expectations. We need to perform and deliver more. It’s not enough to make two good cases. We need to make 2,000 good cases,” Lone Ryg Olsen says.

All of the university's innovation and business activities are gathered in Kitchen, and the new premises must accommodate both established researchers with several startups behind them and young students who are completely new to the business world. There are both small and large meeting rooms, open workspaces and private offices. All in the confines of the old laundry, which extends from the basement to the pigeon house under the ceiling. 

PART OF THE CULTURE

According to the Business Director, one of Kitchen's most important tasks will be to support a cultural change in which innovation and entrepreneurship must become a natural part of studying and working at Aarhus University. One of the initiatives that will contribute to this change was the appointment of seven Distinguished Senior Innovators, which took place at the end of 2024. The seven have also been given offices in the new premises. The same applies to Lone Ryg Olsen, who previously held an office at the Rector's Office on Ringgaden. 

The first AU Distinguished Senior Innovators have been appointed

For researchers and students at the university, Kitchen's new premises will be the clearest sign that there’s a greater focus on entrepreneurship and collaboration at the university, but there will also be changes in the professional environments, explains Lone Ryg Olsen:

“There have been many more opportunities to get funds to try out a business idea. There will also be new job structures allowing research, education and entrepreneurship to be combined in new ways. We’re also working on a new approach to how we hire and promote, where – in addition to rewarding excellent research which is always number one – we also reward being a skilled entrepreneur. We’re actually in the middle of that work, so I can't say exactly how it’ll end,” Lone Ryg Olsen says.

New programme allows selected researchers from each faculty to focus on innovation and entrepreneurship (in Danish)

According to the director of Enterprise and Innovation, opportunities for funds to test business ideas are growing, among other things, as a result of investor events such as AU Launch and AU Connect, as well as funding from foundations. She expects that in the future even more opportunities will arise as a result of a massive focus on the need for more risk‑willing capital in Denmark and Europe.

Lone Ryg Olsen calls the culture change an “inner goal.” Kitchen will also be held accountable for some “external goals,” including requirements for the number of companies, revenue and funding generated through Kitchen. Those objectives have yet to be set.

THE WORLD LOOKS DIFFERENT 

The move towards a university that has a greater focus on innovation and nurtures more companies isn’t only happening in Aarhus, the director explains. This is happening all over Europe and, according to her, it’s a reaction to the geopolitical changes that call for a more independent Europe.

“Europe is falling behind the United States and China. We're not starting the new growth businesses. We’re not the ones inventing the new digital technologies. We need to change that, and we experience this movement very strongly in Denmark. We feel that the government is incredibly proactive in this area,” Lone Ryg Olsen says.

She calls US President Donald Trump a “photographic developer” who has highlighted a need for greater European innovation.

“We need universities to become more skilled at entrepreneurship and cooperation. I believe we have the potential for that. We have all the ingredients needed to be able to make something truly groundbreaking. Europe needs to find solutions for more sustainable foods and more sustainable energy. Sadly, Europe also needs to be better at defending itself. This is something that offers very interesting opportunities for the university,” Lone Ryg Olsen says.

Officially, Kitchen will open at the end of May, but there will be an open house for all staff and students on 4 February.