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OPENINNOVATION
OpenInnovation is powered by various collaborations across academia, industry, public organisations and foundations. Core to the program are 4 Challenge Partners that propose real-world problems for 25 interdisciplinary student teams to solve. Additionally, we have other partners contributing to the program.
WE ARE SEARCHING FOR
Challenge Partners
Each year, OpenInnovation collaborates with 3-4 organisations to present real-world challenges that fuel innovation and creative problem-solving. As a Challenge Partner, your organisation will play a pivotal role by defining the challenge and mentoring interdisciplinary student teams as they develop innovative solutions. For each challenge, five teams—comprising 25 talented students—work together to address the challenge, bringing diverse perspectives and fresh ideas to the table.
Interested in becoming a Challenge Partner? Get in touch.
To explore past challenges and previous Challenge Partners, click here.
Program Partners
OpenInnovation is made possible due to strong partnerships with various organisations. Program Partners can contribute to OpenInnovation in various ways, from sponsoring specific activities or other components of the program, to providing expert insights through inspirational speeches or workshops.
Interested in becoming a Program Partner? Get in touch
WHAT YOU WILL GET
Be inspired by the innovative and bold ideas of interdisciplinary student teams working on solving your challenge.
Couple students from DTU, CBS and KU to your organisation. Being a partner is not only is a source for innovation but also establishes a direct recruitment platform to young talents.
Strengthen your own innovation capacity within the organisation. Gain first-hand experience with new innovation strategies and inclusive design methodologies.
Strategic branding and media attention. Brand your organisation in the intersection of innovation, sustainability and youth involvement.
TESTIMONIALS
“I was impressed to see how the students worked across academic disciplines… We have many years of experience in running clinical studies, but we’re still surprised when students come up with new technologies and challenge us.”
– Ingrid Sofie Harboe, VP of Biometrics at Lundbeck
“In VELUX we are working towards a sustainable future of the building industry. By joining OpenInnovation, we wanted to be inspired by the energy and innovative ideas from the upcoming generation of future talents and leaders.“
– Erdal Ahmedovski, Head of Global Operational Excellence at VELUX
“It’s always nice to witness an innovation challenge being carried out by a multidisciplinary crowd of students… I know from experience that the best solutions are brought out with a mix of backgrounds, experiences and competencies.“
– Andreas Korntved Mortensen, Eco Designer at Danish Design Center
YOUR JOURNEY AS A CHALLENGE PARTNER
The OpenInnovation event will take place in September 2025. In the months leading up to the event, we’ll work closely with you to define a relevant challenge and support you in your preparations. At the event, we kindly ask you to present your challenge to the participants. Throughout the innovation weekend, we may need your assistance in answering questions from the student teams. During the Finals, all teams will pitch their solutions to you and your jury.
EXAMPLES OF SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES
The cases from OpenInnovation 2024 presented real-life sustainability challenges to the interdisciplinary student teams. Click each case to learn more.
