New Director of Science Bridge: “It’s only natural that we should create greater value from our fundamental research”

That is how Lea Thøgersen describes her feelings as she prepares to take up the role of Director of Science Bridge on 1 September. The new initiative is designed to strengthen the interaction between research and society at the Faculty of Natural Sciences — a challenge she is eager to embrace.

“I find it meaningful to develop new ways of creating value both for our researchers and for the partners we collaborate with outside the university. I look forward to drawing on my experience from industry and from working with universities to establish strong frameworks that benefit all parties,” she says.

Lea Thøgersen brings 13 years of experience in the development of bioinformatics software from the private sector. Most recently, she headed the Aarhus-based Research and Development department of the international biotechnology company QIAGEN.

The Faculty of Natural Sciences is not unfamiliar territory for her. She studied Chemistry and Molecular Biology at Aarhus University and completed a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry in 2005.

As Director of Science Bridge, Lea Thøgersen will be responsible for establishing and developing the new unit, while helping to strengthen collaboration between the faculty and external partners.

In her new role, she will also become a member of the faculty leadership team. Birgit Schiøtt, Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, is looking forward to welcoming her.

“Lea brings exactly the right combination of experience from both university research and private industry. This is crucial for developing Science Bridge and strengthening our efforts to bring fundamental research into play for the benefit of society. I am delighted that Lea will be leading this work and look forward to working with her,” she says.

Enabling more people to benefit from our fundamental research

The ambition for Science Bridge is to create a platform that connects our curiosity-driven fundamental research with companies and public-sector organisations that have both the willingness and the expertise to develop it further — and that recognise how the knowledge we generate can pave the way for new technologies and solutions.

“We want to ensure that our research is put to use in society as effectively and as quickly as possible, even when it is not something that can immediately be turned into a spin-out company,” says the incoming Director.

Science Bridge will build on curiosity-driven fundamental research and create connections between the faculty’s researchers and external stakeholders. The unit will play a facilitating role, supporting researchers in establishing collaborations, from initial contacts through to the potential development of projects.

“It’s only natural that we should create greater value from our fundamental research,” she says, stressing that the increased focus on knowledge exchange with society and industry does not mean that researchers should change their priorities.

“Free fundamental research is valuable in its own right as the foundation for future innovation. Our efforts to maximise its societal value in the shorter term do not change that,” she says.

Science Bridge will launch after the summer break. Four Innovation Specialist positions have recently been advertised, with an application deadline of 15 September. Recruiting for these roles will be among the first tasks facing the new Director as she builds the new unit.