Digging has commenced for the Centre for Industrial Electronics

A historic initiative was taken last summer when industrial parties, SDU, the Region of Southern Denmark  and Sønderborg Municipality joined forces to address the shortage of electronics engineers in Southern Denmark. The result was the establishment of the Centre for Industrial Electronics (CIE) in Sønderborg. The five partners – Danfoss A/S, Linak A/S, SDU, the Region of Southern Denmark and Sønderborg Municipality have invested a total of DKK 176 million in the project. 

Local success bites its own tail

The background for the establishment of CIE is bittersweet. Southern Denmark has an extraordinary position of strength in the field of energy-efficient technologies, and there is a strong ecosystem and high concentration of companies around Sønderborg in particular. The sector has an annual export rate of DKK 34 billion and is thus one of the major players in Danish exports. At the same time, the sector has struggled for many years to procure sufficiently skilled labour within the technical field, as well as engineers. In view of electronics increasingly becoming a prerequisite for consolidating and creating growth in the sector, it is crucial that the proper skilled labour is available. This is why the five partners have collaborated on establishing the Centre for Industrial Electronics.

New beacon for industrial electronics

The first spade of soil for the physical framework of the Centre for Industrial Electronics was turned over today. The building, financed by Bitten & Mads Clausen’s Foundation and LINAK A/S, will be an extension of the Alsion building in Sønderborg. The building will have an approximate total surface of 3,300 square metres split over five floors. It will be connected with the rest of SDU in Sønderborg by a glass gangway.

The new building will house laboratories, testing facilities and project rooms that will help to ensure study and research at a high international level. The centre will create value for the companies in their innovation and product development, just as it will inspire SDU’s researchers and provide a solid basis for training the engineers that the companies are looking for.

SDU works across familiar boundaries  

- The CIE is a materialisation of our close collaboration with the industry. This collaboration not only illustrates that SDU is experimental and innovative, but also works across familiar boundaries. We are extremely happy that the parties have invested heavily in the CIE. This means we are able to set up a centre for research and study at a very high international level. We would like to repay this by producing engineers that will not just help the parties but the entire region, says Professor Dr Horst-Günter Rubahn. He is  Acting Head of CIE and Director of the Mads Clausen Institute at SDU.

The CIE will provide companies in Southern Denmark with easy access to the latest knowledge and most talented minds, allowing them to create new ground-breaking solutions for customers and growth in the region.

The new building will be completed in the summer of 2019.