By Mette Hjorth Rasmussen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs
Photo: Private & Inovation Centre Denmark, Consulate of Denmark, Boston

Denmark and Massachusetts are now intensifying cooperation between research institutions, companies and public actors on both sides of the Atlantic. Professor Jakob Stoustrup from the Department of Electronic Systems participated on behalf of AAU's Mission for Sustainable Energy, which shares many goals with Massachusetts.

"Massachusetts has set the bar high for the green transition – just as we know it from the Danish Climate Act of 2020. We have parallel ambitions to develop energy systems with significantly lower climate impact, and therefore it makes perfect sense that we intensify our collaboration," says Jakob Stoustrup.

A collaboration with deep roots

The new agreement between Denmark (DK) and Massachusetts (MA) did not emerge overnight but grew out of a collaboration that goes back a decade. Aalborg University has been an active part of the Cross Atlantic Network for System Integration (CANSI) – a network that for a number of years has brought together researchers and actors in energy systems across the Atlantic.

"The CANSI network has played a direct role in the development of the new government agreement. Strong professional relationships have been built up between MA and DK, and that history is clearly reflected in the interest and goodwill we met," says Stoustrup.

New opportunities through deregulation in the United States

The current US federal government's work on deregulation has created new opportunities for new direct agreements between smaller countries and US states. For Denmark, this means that collaborations with states of a certain size – such as Massachusetts – can be established more flexibly.

"There was a surprisingly large interest from the American side in cooperating much more extensively. Denmark is recognized for unique competencies in the energy field, both in terms of technology, regulation and practical solutions. This makes Danish universities and companies very attractive partners," says Jakob Stoustrup.

He also points out that Denmark has one of the longest uninterrupted diplomatic relationships with the United States, which stretches back more than 225 years. "It is important to maintain and expand relationships - even when the political winds change. This agreement contributes significantly to strengthening the constructive relationship."

Five key areas of collaboration under AAU's Mission for Sustainable Energy

Jakob Stoustrup expects close collaboration across the entire Mission for Sustainable Energy. He highlights five areas where the potential is particularly great:

1. Intelligent energy systems
   Both parties have an increasing focus on sector integration – how electricity, heating, storage and transport are best connected. Electrification is central to the work to replace fossil fuels.
2. Digital energy
   As energy systems become more complex, the need for digital solutions that optimize resource utilization increases. Massachusetts and Denmark share a particular interest in the interaction between heat and electricity, e.g. how surplus heat can be integrated into district heating systems.
3. Sustainable energy systems
   With large investments in renewable energy, the life cycle perspective is important - for example, recycling wind turbine blades rather than landfill.
4. Carbon management and sustainable fuels
   For those sectors that cannot be electrified directly, alternative fuels based on biomass or Power-to-X technologies are needed. Both regions are are closely monitoring developments in electrolysis and e-fuels.
5. Societal integration
   Both in Massachusetts and in Denmark, there is a great deal of attention to the societal consequences that arise from the green energy transition. One example is affordability, i.e. that the green transition must not lead to unaffordable energy prices for citizens.

Energy Cluster Denmark: Cooperation with the entire energy sector

In addition to his role for AAU's energy mission, Jakob Stoustrup also represented Energy Cluster Denmark, where he is a board member. Here, he presented opportunities to the American partners for transatlantic innovation projects.

"Energy Cluster Denmark can open doors to a wide range of companies – large and small – and thus create faster access to specific collaborative projects. It was received very positively," he says.

Another AAU professor was also part of the Danish delegation, namely Brian Vad Mathiesen from the Department of Sustainability and Planning. Read more here: Denmark and Massachusetts strengthen their collaboration with participation from AAU.

Translated by Susanne Togeby