Better use of data in the Danish society, including in research and business, is one of the most important factors for the Danish economy in the future and a prerequisite for accelerating development across virtually all areas in the public and private sectors – and in education and research environments.
The field of data science is indeed growing everywhere as an independent area, while also being widely applied across many sectors.
The Danish Data Science Academy (DDSA) has now received DKK 75 million from the Novo Nordisk Foundation to renew its work for the period 2027-2031.
Since 2021, DDSA has established itself as a national and independent organization with documented results in supporting outstanding talent and ensuring scientific meeting places for professionals in data science.
DDSA's chairman, Lars Kai Hansen, professor at DTU Compute, is very pleased with the grant:
"We are very excited to be able to continue our many programs and activities at DDSA, as well as launch new initiatives that will benefit both new and experienced experts working in Denmark. We are very grateful that the Novo Nordisk Foundation shares our enthusiasm for data science and AI and views these areas as crucial for Denmark's competitiveness now and in the future," he says.
The grant from the Novo Nordisk Foundation ensures that talent-supporting activities continue, including postdoctoral fellowships, large knowledge-sharing events, the annual data science conference, a renewed focus on education and skills development, including lifelong learning, and grants for data science resources.
"Data science is becoming increasingly important as the field forms the basis for generative AI and is widely used to accelerate development and create insights across domains and sectors. The Danish Data Science Academy has proven its role as a central player in the growing data science ecosystem in Denmark, and as part of our contribution to expanding and consolidating this ecosystem, we have decided to renew our support for DDSA," says Lene Oddershede, Chief Scientific Officer, Planetary Science & Technology, Novo Nordisk Foundation.
The Danish Data Science Academy is structured modularly and will continue to raise funds to expand with more activities for the benefit of the data science community, including access to greater computing power, which data science experts widely demand as a key factor for their important research and development.
CEO of DDSA, Marie Helene Andersson, elaborates:
"I look forward to the long-term prospects for DDSA as the Danish hub for data science professionals and the trusted partner in building data science competencies across sectors and domains. Moving forward, we also want to increasingly be a strong public voice in data science and the ethics behind it, particularly concerning the use of data science in research, welfare, and industrial products," she says.
