Insights from University of Copenhagen should play a bigger part in solving societal problems. To this end the university opens the new innovation centre “Lighthouse” to support entrepreneurship and facilitate collaboration with companies, public institutions and foundations. The main aim of the centre is to help students and researchers transform great ideas into sustainable businesses. Lighthouse is located centrally in Copenhagen Science City and opened officially on 24th November 2022. By Jes Andersen.

Collaborative innovation project

From its very foundation, Lighthouse has been a collaborative project. The original idea for it came from the Copenhagen Science City Development Council which has representation from the university and its seven partners. The council also co-financed the project and University staff at the Secretariat of Copenhagen Science City lead the work leading the establishment of Lighthouse.

Lighthouse will be a key player in our innovation district. In the Copenhagen Science City-secretariat we are immensely proud to have lead the development of Lighthouse in close collaboration with our partners”: Kristoffer Klebak, Head of Secretariat, Copenhagen Science City.

One centre- Two locations

Today, as a physical entity, Lighthouse resides in two buildings. One belonging to University of Copenhagen and the other to the Royal Library. Both are located at the corner of Tagensvej and Nørre Alle in the Copenhagen neighbourhood Nørrebro.

A forum for meetings across barriers

For University of Copenhagen, it is especially vital that Lighthouse should provide a forum for co-creation between entrepreneurial students at its six faculties. For its Science City-partners, it will provide a huge step towards more collaboration across academic disciplines and institutions. The University of Copenhagen faculties are:

• Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Theology

An engine for economic development

The two Lighthouse locations will provide office space for start-ups, event space for the entrepreneurial eco-system and classrooms for training in innovation and entrepreneurship. University based start-ups play a significant role in Danish economy. Between 2012 and 2022 researchers, students and recent graduates from Danish universities launched some 7,000 companies employing around 10,000 people and with an annual turnover in excess of 12 billion DKK (1,6 bio Eur)

One of the strongest innovation districts in Europe

Copenhagen Science City is an innovation district in the heart of the Danish capital. It is home to University of Copenhagen, University Hospital Rigshospitalet and University College Copenhagen. With 40,000 researchers, students and staff and 450 start-ups it has one of Europe’s highest concentrations of knowledge within Science and Health and Medical Sciences. The Copenhagen Science City-partners are:

• University of Copenhagen
• University Hospital Rigshospitalet
• University College Copenhagen (KP)
• City of Copenhagen
• The Capital Region of Denmark
• Symbion
• COBIS
• Novo Nordisk
• Danish Building and Property Agency