Innovation Fund Denmark gathers input for upcoming sustainability framework

Experts from the research and innovation system contribute knowledge and sparring to an upcoming framework tool, which will ensure the integration of sustainability into the funds's investment processes.

Innovation Fund Denmark is in the process of developing a new framework for how the Fund can set and implement sustainability criteria for its investments.

The Fund's Board of Directors decided in early 2024 to make sustainability a central element of the Fund's strategy . Since then, work has been underway to develop a framework and implementation plan that ensures that sustainability becomes a natural part of the Foundation's investment processes while respecting the Foundation's mandate and annual political priorities.

Perspectives from outside

The preliminary work was presented yesterday at a meeting with participants from the fund's sustainability expert group. The group consists of representatives from the research and innovation system with different perspectives on sustainability, including representatives from other foundations, investors and innovation actors.

The purpose of the meeting was to get the experts' help to qualify the fund's approach and, among other things, ensure that the framework tool is sufficiently simple and operational so that it does not burden applicants with unnecessary bureaucracy.

The expert group's input will now help shape the final version of the framework tool. If approved by the Board, the goal is to implement sustainability criteria across all relevant programs by 2026.

Sustainability Expert Group

The entire group of experts who follow Innovation Fund Denmark's work on sustainability and provide advice and input consists of:

Annabeth Aagaard , Professor, ESG in SMEs, Aarhus University
Christine Nellemann , Dean for Sustainability, DTU
Claus Felby , SVP and Head of Sustainability Strategy, Novo Nordisk Foundation
Benjamin Bøgen Pedersen , Youth Climate Council
Morten Jess Nielsen , Head of ESG, EIFO
Astrid Alexandersen , Programme manager for Sustainable Finance programme, KR Foundation
Teis Hansen , Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, University of Copenhagen & Member of the Expert Group on the Role of Research in the Green Transition.
Lone Kørnøv , Professor at the Department of Sustainability and Planning at Aalborg University, where she leads the Danish Center for Environmental Assessment (DCEA) (& Innowoman).
Richard Templer , Professor at the Faculty of Natural Sciences, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College London & Co-founder of Climate-KIC (& Member of MIAB).
Merilin Hörats-Beasley , Senior Sustainable Finance Expert, EU Platform on Sustainable Finance & European Investment Fund.
Lars Friberg , Climate Strategist at Vinnova
Magnus Oden , Head of Nordics and CEE & CIS, UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).

Participants at the Roundtable on Sustainability 05.02.2025

List of participants at the Roundtable on Sustainability held on the 5th of February 2025, can be found here

Photo: Stine Heilmann