On 29 May, CEFAU was officially inaugurated. Thank you to everyone who helped make the opening of CEFAU such a great day in Aarhus. It is great to finally be underway.
Michael Svarer welcomed guests, partners, and colleagues to our new facilities at Aarhus University's new University City Campus. The day featured a program that both introduced CEFAU and set the direction for its future work.
A special thank you to Lars Sandahl Sørensen and Steen Stavnsbo for helping mark the opening and for their strong support of CEFAU.
Some of the day's key takeaways:
As Philipp Schröder highlighted in his introduction, drawing on 200 years of development in Danish GDP, our prosperity is not a coincidence. Productivity — and therefore prosperity — is created through the interaction of technology, internationalization, and political framework conditions, and most importantly: businesses. Business dynamism and well-functioning markets are essential building blocks. These are exactly the questions that CEFAU's research and analyses seek to address.
Jørgen Vig Knudstorp emphasized that we must not underestimate the strength of the Danish model: Denmark has the ability to create unique business success stories — but this requires us to continue developing the right framework conditions.
The panel discussion — moderated by Laura Uggla — addressed the new reality shaped by geopolitics, AI, and increasing complexity, where knowledge is increasingly becoming the compass guiding business decisions. Thank you to Aarhus University Rector Brian Bech Nielsen and CEFAU Advisory Board members Marianne Dahl, Jens Riis Andersen, and Jens Bjerg Sørensen for sharing valuable insights — particularly on the challenges of AI and Europe's important role in safeguarding opportunities for Danish businesses.
Advisory Board Chair Nina Smith focused in her presentation on the continued need for economic reform in Denmark: Labour remains the single most critical input factor for businesses, and the reform agenda is far from complete.
The CEFAU research presentations offered a brief insight into ongoing work and demonstrated what can be expected from CEFAU's knowledge and analysis. Michael Koch presented new research on how AI is transforming businesses and the labour market, while Allan Sørensen highlighted the characteristics that define successful exporters among Danish companies.
CEFAU's mission is clear:
We deliver independent research and analysis on what drives prosperity — and on how businesses and their operating conditions play a central role in that development.
Thank you to all speakers, panel participants, and researchers for contributing — and thank you to everyone who attended and helped make the day something special.
