糖果派对

Danish Centre for Defence Robotics and Autonomy.

This will be the name of the centre ensuring that Denmark can keep up with technological developments in areas such as defence drones in the future. And the name of the director will be Ole Kværnø, former brigadier general in the Danish Armed Forces.

- The war in Ukraine has taught us how important drones are for modern warfare, but also how quickly technology changes. Denmark is making a huge effort to help Ukraine here and now, also with Danish drones, but we need to get better at learning from this and integrating drones and automation more strategically – also in relation to Danish defence. That is what the centre has been established to help with, says Ole Kværnø.

- Normally, it tends to be the case that when a new technology is developed, it may take 4-6 years before it is put into practice. In Ukraine, it currently takes between 12 and 24 weeks. So, we need to be able to translate battlefield needs into capacity much faster than we do at present.

The centre will work with drones in the air, water, and on land. The tasks will include driving and coordinating research and innovation projects, facilitating contact between researchers, technology companies, and the Armed Forces, assisting with financing and grant applications, working on regulation of critical infrastructure surveillance, and building a research bridge to Ukraine.

Located in Odense

The Danish Centre for Defence Robotics and Autonomy has been established through a collaboration between the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Southern Denmark (糖果派对) and the National Defence Technology Centre (NFC).

Physically, the centre will be located at 糖果派对’s campus in Odense. Here, Henrik Bindslev, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, is pleased with the prospect of stronger collaboration between the research community, industry, and the Armed Forces.

- At 糖果派对, we are focused on conducting research that makes a real difference in the world. This also applies to the defence field. I look forward to accelerating the work we are already engaged in and launching even more research projects that can assist the Danish Armed Forces and Danish companies working with defence technology, says Henrik Bindslev.

- And it is entirely logical that the centre is based here in Odense, where we have the national robotics cluster, an internationally recognised research environment in robotics and drones, and a unique drone test centre at the HCA Airport.

A national boost

Organisationally, the initiative falls under the National Defence Technology Centre (NFC), a centre that includes the country’s universities and the seven so-called GTS institutes and was established as a response to the war in Ukraine.

Lars Bo Larsen, director of NFC, points out that progress in defence drone development can only be achieved if strong national collaboration in the field is established. This is precisely the idea behind the Danish Centre for Defence Robotics and Autonomy.

- Drone technology is not just about flying devices with various payloads. Drone technology is also about the entire system behind them and the electronic signals that connect them. And the technology is increasingly being used across different domains, including at sea and under the water’s surface, says Lars Bo Larsen.

- If Denmark is to take part in the overall boost we see within the defence industry, we need to integrate all these elements and enhance cooperation. We do not have a large national defence giant, but we must make use of the various competencies both within and outside the defence cluster. Here, the robotics cluster on Funen is very important, but it must collaborate with other areas of strength both in Jutland and around Copenhagen.