Europe must lead in science and tech, says University of Copenhagen’s new prorector

Ideas are in abundant supply at the University of Copenhagen (UCPH). From researchers, from students, from partners. Now it needs a setting where these ideas can take root — and ultimately become new knowledge, solutions, and companies.

This will be one of the main tasks for Eva Hoffmann, who 1 July took up her post as the new prorector for research and innovation at UCPH.

»I consider it a privilege to help make UCPH the ideal environment for outstanding ideas,« she says when the University Post caught up with her a few days before she officially began her new role.

Eva Hoffmann takes over the position of prorector at a time when the world of universities — both nationally and internationally — is undergoing massive changes. Political turbulence, global shifts, and evolving frameworks for research and innovation, are all now realities that no university can ignore.

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»Western Europe is in the midst of some very significant changes. The way we have been used to collaborating with the US since World War II is under pressure. The Trump administration is making massive cuts to research funding, and this will also affect us here in Denmark,« says Eva Hoffmann, pointing to the risk that large databases and research infrastructures — which European universities have long depended on — may disappear.

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At the same time, she believes that Europe, in this new world order, must take greater responsibility for its own research and technology.

»We missed the tech wave in Europe. We cannot afford to do that with AI and other emerging technologies. This time, we need to be in the game — and we need to be bold,« she says.

Innovation requires courage — and structure

The ambition to boost UCPH’s capacity for innovation will be one of her key priorities in the new role. And according to Eva Hoffmann, it’s not just about inventing new things, but also about creating the right framework and daring to fail.

»We need to make it easier for our researchers to get involved in innovation. We need to be willing to take risks, and that naturally means that not everything will succeed. Mistakes will be made. While many spinouts — the small companies that emerge from research — are successful, some are not. But that doesn’t change the fact that we need to give students and staff the best possible conditions,« she says.

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According to Eva Hoffmann, there is a need to rethink how UCPH works with innovation — and how to prevent good ideas from getting bogged down in bureaucratic processes.

»I would like us to adopt a broader perspective on innovation. It’s not just patents or pharmaceuticals. It could also be new technologies, new AI solutions, or social innovations. And we need to get better at working across disciplines. The fertility crisis is a good example — it’s not just about biology, but also about society, life trajectories, and culture,« says Eva Hoffmann, referring to her own field of research.

Quality over quantity

Although the innovation agenda is prominent, Eva Hoffmann emphasises that there must still be room for curiosity-driven basic research — even if it doesn’t always yield immediate results.

»We must not end up on a hamster wheel where we are only chasing the next research paper. I come from Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, where we have always prioritized quality over quantity. We need to give researchers the time and space to develop their fields — and the courage to think long-term and take on the tough challenges,« she says.

At the same time, Eva Hoffmann believes that partnerships between universities and the business sector need to be strengthened.

Part of her experience comes from several years in the UK, where collaboration between academia and industry is far more common — and where she herself was involved in public-private partnerships.

»I see opportunities and untapped potential in working with industry. We need to build that bridge together — wisely and responsibly. Ultimately, our role is to do research on what others do not. The major challenges won’t be solved by the private sector alone, but neither will they be solved by the university alone. We have to work together,« says Eva Hoffmann.

She highlights how partnerships with industry have given her and her research team access to data they could never have generated on their own.

»For example, we collaborate with large genomics companies, using their data for basic research. This generates new knowledge that benefits both industry and society. These are the kinds of circular partnerships I’d like to see more of.«

A time of challenges — and opportunities

There will be no shortage of tasks when Eva Hoffmann officially assumes the role of prorector — both internally at UCPH and in the broader political landscape.

She points out that Denmark is in a privileged position with a strong research economy, but that there are also challenges in the form of narrow political priorities and the risk that curiosity-driven research will be squeezed out.

»We’ve never had so much funding for research before. But it’s important that we don’t forget researcher-driven idea generation and the basic research that often begins with a question or something unexpected — something no one fully understands, but which might later turn out to be the key to something big,« she says.

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At the same time, major internal changes are coming up in a period when European universities must rethink their research collaboration.

»It’s an exciting but also challenging time. Europe is in a moment full of opportunity. But this requires that we take responsibility — also at UCPH. We need to find the balance between being innovative, responsible, and ensuring that we continue to be a university that creates knowledge for the future.«

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