En 
Da
The board of the Otto Mønsted Foundation has decided to make its largest single donation to date of DKK 50 million to the University of Southern Denmark and the establishment of a new, creative innovation centre on campus in Odense.
The donation will contribute to a remarkable strengthening of the efforts for entrepreneurship and innovation among students.
The new house will be a vibrant environment for students and recent graduates with a good idea and a desire to turn it into reality. With a focus on entrepreneurship, startups and building bridges between students, researchers, investors and business, the house will be a dynamic platform where ideas can grow into sustainable businesses.
The chairman of the Otto Mønsted Foundation, Nis Alstrup, says:
“We are proud to support SDU in this ambitious venture. We hope it will inspire more young people to realise their ideas and contribute to innovation and growth in Denmark. We got a taste of the talent pool again in 2024 at the foundation’s presentation of the Bright Idea Award, where the jury also honoured a team of SDU students with a runner-up prize. The new building holds great potential for even more students to realise their goals and create real value in practice – and we welcome that.”
Building bridges between students and business
The building will include event facilities, workshop areas and flexible meeting places for students, startups and companies. It will strengthen the link between the university’s programmes and the labour market and create new opportunities for innovation collaborations.
Rector Jens Ringsmose welcomes the unusually large support and emphasises the importance of the donation:
“We are incredibly proud of the trust the Otto Mønsted Foundation has shown us with this donation. The future house will be a catalyst for innovation and entrepreneurship at SDU. It will be a place where students and recent graduates can test their ideas, meet investors and business partners and create solutions that can make a real difference in society. The vision is to create an inspiring meeting place where creativity, research and business merge.”
For SDU, strengthening the interaction with society and business is a strategic priority. With this initiative, the university is taking an important step in promoting entrepreneurship, creating new jobs and developing solutions that support a sustainable future.
SDU expects the construction of the new building to cost over DKK 120 million. In addition to the DKK 50 million grant from the Otto Mønsted Foundation, SDU will finance the remaining costs for construction, additional works, furniture and equipment.
The building will be established in an area with strong technical and commercial research and education environments at SDU, and it will be connected to the university’s other campus buildings via corridors.