Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation has joined forces with LINAK, Region Syddanmark (Southern Denmark), SDU and Sønderborg Municipality to create a new Centre for Industrial Mechanics (CIM) with research, new laboratories and engineering programmes within the area of mechanics. The total investment, up until 2030, will amount to over 93 million DKK.
The successful collaboration between the five parties started in October 2019 when they inaugurated the Centre for Industrial Electronics (CIE). In record time, CIE has established itself as a beacon within power electronics and shown what public agencies can do in collaboration with global companies.
I am very pleased indeed with the good cooperation we have with all parties in CIE and the positive effect it has had on the number of students at SDU in Sønderborg. We continue that same cooperation in CIM, and I am convinced that it will have an equally positive effect on the number of students in the region. CIM is a project that will provide the area's businesses with necessary and long-needed access to new competencies and future technological solutions, in a long-term perspective.
Peter M. Clausen, Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation
There are unique opportunities for synergies between CIE and CIM, where, among other things, the focus is on green solutions necessitated by climate change. The Center for Industrial Mechanics will, with education and research, support companies in the wind, e-mobility and energy-efficiency industries.
Energy technology accounts for almost 18 percent of total Danish goods exports, but the companies within energy efficiency are engineers – especially in electronics, mechatronics and mechanics. So, it makes sense to educate the engineers in Sønderborg, exactly where they are needed.
Long-term Goals
The goal of the Center for Industrial Mechanics is to build research facilities and connect an internationally recognised group of 30+ researchers by 2030. In this way, the Center will ensure companies' access to research-based knowledge. The Center will accommodate new degree programmes at diploma, bachelor, master and doctoral levels.
Engineers for Southern Denmark – and the rest of Denmark
Despite increasing admissions to the country's engineering education over recent years, Denmark will face a massive shortage of highly skilled technological manpower in 2025 and beyond. The new Center is being set up to address this shortage of engineers so that companies can maintain their development and production in Denmark.
In South Denmark, for example, Danfoss and LINAK work closely with the University in relation to projects, product development, internships and the hiring of graduate engineers. This is for the benefit of all parties and ensures a coherent link from education to final employment in the area.
LINAK is experiencing an increasing demand globally for the technologies and products we supply. In order to ensure our long-term competitiveness, it is crucial that we stay on top of developments in a wide range of technologies. We therefore need good collaboration with the University in connection with research activities and to be able to hire employees with the right skills to develop our products. We have over 250 engineers employed here on Als and the task of attracting mechanical engineers, for example, has long been a challenge for us. The establishment of CIM will therefore be crucial for our opportunities in the future.
Bent Jensen, Owner and CEO LINAK
Read more about CIM by following this link to the University's website
