19 February 2025
Five new members have joined the board of DIREC, while three have stepped down. Among the new members are representatives from Novo Nordisk, FOSS, and Trifork, who will collaborate with the existing board to continue the ambitious development of Denmark’s national research and innovation centre for advanced digital technology.
In 2025 and 2026, additional funding will be allocated to groundbreaking digital technology research and innovation projects. This became a reality when DIREC received 40 million DKK from the research reserve at the start of the year.
In the light of this, DIREC has strengthened its board with prominent individuals from both the public and private sectors.
“DIREC has historically been the first to bring together all Danish universities and create a strong, unified platform for digital research in Denmark. This has made it easier for policy makers and decision-makers to achieve meaningful outcomes in digital research and innovation. With new members from Novo Nordisk, FOSS, and Trifork, we are enhancing the board’s understanding of the collaboration between academia and business, enabling us to create even more value for Denmark’s companies,” says Jens Christian Godskesen, Chair of DIREC.
He is supported by the board’s Vice Chair, Thomas Asger Hansen, Director and Head of Group Data & AI at Grundfos: “At DIREC, business has direct access to the core of Denmark’s universities. Here, we can focus on the digital skills that researchers and future employees can contribute to make a difference in business. I believe that DIREC presents a highly exciting model for ensuring competitiveness in the digital sector both in the short and long term.”
These changes in the board also mark the departure of Vice Chair Michael Holm, Chairman of the Board at Systematic, Board member Natasha Friis Saxberg, Director at IT Branchen, and the university representatives Jakob Grue Simonsen and Bjarke Oxlund.
DIREC’s board now consists of the following members:
