Rice University hosts Danish space delegation

A delegation of Danish representatives from government, academia and the space industry visited the Rice University campus last week for a half-day series of meetings, lab tours and conversations on avenues for growth and collaboration in space education and research.

The Feb. 2 visit was part of a multiday trip organized and led by the Danish Consul General and Head of Energy North America, Morten Siem Lynge, along with the Greater Houston Partnership and Bay Area Houston Economic Partnership.

Among the delegation’s stops were Rice’s Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie), the Oshman Engineering Design Kitchen, the Particle Flow and Tribology Lab, the Rice University National Security Research Accelerator and the Rice Nanofabrication Facility. The group also participated in a roundtable discussion with researchers from Rice and the University of Houston.

Comprised of more than 35 people, the delegation included representatives from the U.S. Embassy in Denmark, the Office of the Tech Ambassador of Denmark (Silicon Valley), the European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre Denmark, the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science — Space Division, Aalborg University, Aarhus University, Danish Technological Institute and Technical University of Denmark.

According to the Danish consul general, Denmark’s government is becoming more focused on Texas because the state — and specifically Houston — have become a hub of Danish business activity, mainly in the energy and space sectors, with research universities becoming increasingly involved.

Rice was chosen as a key stop on the tour because it is a landmark for the history of space exploration. It is the home of the country’s first Space Science Department, and the site where then-President John F. Kennedy delivered a historic address on the necessity of space exploration and America’s commitment to the effort in 1962.