Inauguration of a beacon for energy-efficient technology
The Centre for Industrial Electronics at SDU in Sønderborg has now been officially inaugurated. It is the home of research, innovation and three new engineering programmes.
Good partnerships are those in which one plus one equals more than two, which is exactly the case for the Centre for Industrial Electronics (CIE).
The new centre in Sønderborg is based on a unique collaboration between SDU, LINAK, Danfoss, Region of Southern Denmark and Sønderborg Municipality.
The five partners have invested a total of over DKK 230 million in the CIE, which was inaugurated on Thursday. It contains research, innovation and testing facilities at a high international level and provides a basis for new engineering programmes in the field of electronics.
”We have hereby taken on a great responsibility for a more sustainable development together with our partners, both in terms of the green agenda and sustainable cities and communities
The Region of Southern Denmark has a high concentration of companies in the field of energy efficiency, particularly in the Sønderborg area.
Energy technology accounts for almost 18% of the Danish export of goods, but there is a shortage of engineers in energy efficiency companies - especially in the fields of electronics, mechatronics and IT. It therefore makes sense to educate engineers in Sønderborg, as this is exactly where they are needed.
50 students have already started on the new electronics programmes that are linked to the new centre. It is expected that 110 students will have started or completed an education as an engineer in the field of electronics during the next four years.
The green agenda
“The inauguration means that SDU has taken a decisive step closer to realising the goal of more research and education in Sønderborg. We have hereby taken on a great responsibility for a more sustainable development together with our partners, both in terms of the green agenda and sustainable cities and communities,” says Vice-Chancellor Henrik Dam.
Both the research and programmes focus on energy efficiency, which is basically about using energy in a better way. Energy efficiency alone can reduce global CO2 emissions by 44 percent by 2040.
Increasing energy efficiency is often about making minor improvements such as manufacturing even smaller, more efficient and robust components. This is therefore the focal point of research at CIE.
The centre has joined several international networks and is working closely with a major player from the car industry, where the expertise of researchers is helping to develop components that will make electric cars even more efficient and climate-friendly.