1. Aalborg University (AAU)
AAU was inaugurated in 1974 – after a long and intensive lobbying by many stakeholders in North Denmark. As a
consequence, ties between AAU and its environment have been strong right from the outset.
Four main areas of focus
• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Engineering and Science
• Faculty of Medicine
AAU
• 21 departments
• Danish Building Research Institute (merged 2007)
• Main campus situated in Aalborg and departments in Copenhagen and Esbjerg
• More than 14,000 students, ranging from students at preparatory courses through doctoral-level
candidates, 65 different educational programs
AAU Trademarks
• Problem and Project Based Learning in teams– combining theory and practice
• Interdisciplinary - combining different disciplinary approaches to obtain new knowledge,
crossing the fields of basic and applied research
• Innovation – entrepreneurship and exchange of knowledge

2. Triple Helix at AAU
AAU
Private Public
companies institutions

3. Knowledge sharing activities at AAU

4. Open Lab
• Placed at Dept. of Business & Economics
• Part of the new strategy
• Supplement to central initiatives
• Pros and cons to centralization vs.
decentralization
• Will engagement raise?

5. Pros
• Central
– Strategic activities, more visible
– Management Support
– Top down approach
– Coordination
– External funding
• Decentral / Departments
– Closer to the reseachers and students
– Buttom Up approach
– More people involved / engagement
– Documentation
– Integration