BioInnovation Institute (BII) is launching AI Lab, a new innovation platform designed to
support the commercialisation of artificial intelligence research and
accelerate the development of early-stage AI startups in Denmark. The
initiative is backed by € 7
million (DKK 60 million) in funding from the Danish Industry Foundation and aims to
strengthen collaboration between startups, researchers and industrial companies
while helping bring AI-based technologies to market more quickly.
AI Lab
will be operated by BII, which, since 2018, has supported more than 140 startups
across life sciences, quantum technology and biosolutions with funding,
infrastructure and commercialisation support. Through the AI Lab, BII will expand
its activities into artificial intelligence, focusing on helping startups
develop scalable AI solutions and attract external investment.
The
programme will provide selected startups with non-dilutive financial support,
access to datasets from Danish companies and institutions, computing
infrastructure, technical guidance and connections to potential customers
through BII’s industry network. AI Lab will also include an AI-focused
accelerator programme designed to help startups become investment-ready and
launch pilot projects more quickly.
According
to BII, the initiative is intended to address the gap between Denmark’s strong
digital infrastructure and the slower adoption and commercialisation of AI
technologies within the Danish industry.
Jens Nielsen, CEO of BII, said Denmark has strong foundations for AI development due
to its digital infrastructure, publicly available data, research environments
and industrial base.
With AI
Lab, we at BII aim to create a hub where the right stakeholders can meet and
collaborate to turn advanced AI into solutions that make a tangible difference
in industry.
The goal
is quite simply to shorten the path from a good idea in an academic environment
to implementation in the market. At BII, we have proven that we are good at
this in other areas, and we hope the same will be true for AI.
Thomas Hofman Bang, CEO of the Danish Industry Foundation, said AI is increasingly
becoming a core part of how companies operate and compete, making stronger
collaboration between academia, startups and industry increasingly important.
The new
platform forms part of BII’s broader efforts to support science-based
innovation and help research-driven startups scale commercially across Denmark
and internationally.