POUL DUE JENSEN FOUNDATION RESEARCH 1 What did you do before you joined Poul Due Jensen Foundation? At first, I was assigned to Grundfos’ so-called energy project with the purpose of developing a far more energyefficient circulator pump. Our work formed the basis of the ALPHA pump and all the other products that use permanent magnet motors. For smaller pumps, these motors are much more efficient than the ones previously used. They do, however, need an electrical push. So, our challenge was to create an electronic motor, and fortunately, we were able to do just that! Back then, it was based on a solid mix between ignorance and confidence. The whole idea of not being able to do something didn’t exist in our mindset, so we just went ahead and did it. I am really proud and grateful to have worked on that project. It has formed the basis of how Grundfos pumps reduce CO2 emissions in Europe by more than half of Denmark’s entire CO2 emissions. That’s millions of tonnes of CO2! Having the ability to pull that off really required long-term research. Back then, the state had an energy research programme, and a fantastic person who was part of the programme offered financial support to the project. He told us that he knew that it would take 10-15 years to get it up to speed, but that such a time span was necessary. In hindsight, he was spot on. The idea surfaced back in 1985. I have a copy of an article from 1985, on which Niels Due Jensen has scribbled “Check this out”, and that was basically the start of electronically driven pumps. Niels Due Jensen had this epiphany in 1985, and we have worked towards it ever since. Once the idea is in place, the practical work starts. You fiddle with electronics, you study new materials, you build production facilities, rebuild others, and then you test the products for a lengthy period of time. At the end of the process, you will have contributed to a better world. It is engineering at its absolute best: the world is simply different afterwards! But after a short period, this new “world” becomes a triviality of course. Many years ago, a futurist named Roy Amara said: “You always overestimate the short-term consequences of new technology, and you always underestimate the long-term consequences.” I really agree with that statement. And that’s what I’m looking for now – something that won’t necessarily give financial results right now or in 3-5 years, but something that can have a significant impact in years to come. It is a huge misunderstanding that you can generate revenue within the first 3-5 years of research. Research is not a cost. It is an investment. 2 Tell us about your work as a programme manager I seem to have spent my entire working life training for this job. I am pretty much the opposite of an expert. I don’t know much in detail, but I know a little about many different things. During my years at Grundfos, I worked with long-term projects and had a number of contacts in the research community. I was originally brought in to be a Grundfos supervisor on an industrial research project in connection with the aforementioned energy project. So, I have worked with universities right from the beginning. Throughout the last five years, I have helped the Foundation with technical and scientific assistance, also with regard to the Grundfos Prize. In the year before last, the Foundation asked me to provide more and more ‘expert advice’ as the level of donations grew. When I realised that this kind of work exceeded 37 hours a week, I got in touch with the Executive Director and asked if I shouldn’t join the Foundation staff if we were to maintain the high level distributions. Networking is really important. Since 2015, I have been a member of the Independent Research Fund Denmark | Technology and Production (FTP), a committee within the Danish Ministry of Research that distributes DKK 2-300 million every year for research projects within the fields of technology and production. My membership has just been extended to 2020. We evaluate hundreds of applications every year and assess the scientific quality. All the experience I gain from this can be used in my current job. I have achieved a certain level of training in assessing scientific content and professional qualities that aren’t limited to a specific discipline. And I have obtained a very thorough knowledge of the Danish technical research environments, so I know where exciting things happen. But by visiting universities frequently, I also get in touch with the various research environments, people, and passions that we want to support. I think it’s really important to get out there to hear their stories and see their gadgets. 3 Tell us a bit about how you use project development I think my role as a kind of kickstarter of projects makes us stand out from other foundations. I use a lot of energy on developing projects with the researchers before I present them to the Foundation Board. Once I’ve agreed with a researcher that there may be something exciting for the both of us, I ask them to write a description. As soon as I have read it, I ask them about the things I don’t understand or make suggestions as to how the project can be improved. I always try to look at the project with a keen eye on its long-term relevance as well as its ability to make a difference. Typically, 30
Download PDF file
Cookie policy