Programme

12:00 – Arrival / Registration / Lunch 

12:30 – Welcome to the Novo Nordisk Foundation Science Cluster Day
Moderator: Nynne Bjerre Christensen

12:40 – The Novo Nordisk Foundation
Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation

13:00 – Grant Holder Presentations 

• DCAI – Ulrik Nicolai de Lichtenberg, Director of Scientific Projects
• NIVI – Mike Whelan, Head of PMO
• NNF USE Center – Jan Alexis Nielsen, Interim director
• NNF Tripartite – Danielle Kemmer, Director, Strategic Partnerships

14:15 – Break and relocation

14:45 – Meet the Foundation

• Translation and innovation
• Fundamental Science
• Inequalities in Health
• AI & Data Science
• Behaviour change in the green transition
• Food system transformation
• CMD Interactions
• Interdisciplinary Synergies

16:00 – Break

16:30 – Panel Debate: Denmark’s and Europe’s Position in Global Research and Innovation

• Christina Egelund, Minister for the Ministry of Higher Education and Science
• Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation
• Margrethe Vestager, Chair of the Board of Governors of DTU, previous EU Commissioner and Executive Vice President of the European Commission

17:15 – Aperitif and snacks

17:45 – Evening Lecture – AEGIS: Ancient Genomics Initiative for Sustainability
Eske Willerslev, Professor

18:15 – Dinner

Breakout session themes

Translation and innovation:
Innovation platforms: Novel modalities fostering translation with a specific focus on open innovation and mission-based tools.

Fundamental Science:
Strengthening fundamental research and education in the life, natural and technical sciences aiming to build scientific grounds and preparedness for addressing societal challenges in an international context, while making room for unforeseen discoveries.

Inequalities in Health:
Inequalities in health in Denmark and other Nordic Countries – How to address persistent inequalities in health – from research to practice.

AI & Data Science:
Fuelling Innovation, Research and Education in AI & Data Science – Staying Ahead Globally by Rethinking How We Teach, Apply, and Compete.

Behaviour change in the green transition:
Join us to discover how NNF is championing sustainable living – and share your ideas on how we can make an even greater impact together.

Food system transformation:
This session will provide an example on the NNF approach to Food system transformation”, from agricultural production to health outcomes, followed by an open discussion on the scientific gaps and opportunities for further exploration across the fields of agricultural science, food science and technology, and the translation and implementation of these advancements in society.

CMD Interactions:
Cardiometabolic risk factors are closely linked not only to cardiovascular complications but also interact unfavorably with both malnutrition and widespread chronic infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and HIV. Concomitantly, there is a rise in prevalence of obesity, type II diabetes and hypertension in low- and middle-income countries, and the combined negative synergistic effects of CMD interactions will present a major healthcare challenge in the coming years.

Interdisciplinary Synergies:
Disruptions occur on the interfaces between disciplines. How do we best identify these and explore the opportunities?