About Lighthouse
Lighthouse is the University’s innovation center. Lighthouse focuses on strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship at UCPH and is a place to meet for students, researchers and external partners who want to work across academic disciplines.
The primary task of the center is to help boost innovation capacity and ensure that UCPH’s knowledge is actively used to address complex societal issues via interdisciplinary collaboration with businesses, public institutions, foundations, entrepreneurs and players from the innovation environment.
In collaboration with other relevant players at UCPH, the center will serve as a gateway for external partners wishing to establish an innovative or entrepreneurial collaboration with UCPH.
UCPH has established the innovation center together with the Royal Library with the aim to use knowledge for solving main societal issues. In this way, the University's academic strengths can be used even more to benefit people, society and the environment.
Sustainability is one of the center’s core values; the center is the first public Danish building to have a sustainability certificate, and all furniture in the building is upcycled.
Who can become a part of KU Lighthouse?
All students, researchers and teachers are welcome at KU Lighthouse, and you are welcome to book an intro meeting to learn more about what we offer. External collaborators are also welcome to borrow a desk or meeting room.
You can join KU Lighthouse if you have an interest in innovation, want to start your own business or develop a great idea. Both students and researchers can get advice on business development, innovation and collaboration with external parties.
Students from other educational institutions are also welcome as long as they are part of a team with at least one UCPH student.
To ensure space for as many active teams as possible in Lighthouse, each team can only have one intern in the office spaces on either North or South Campus per semester.
How do I become part of KU Lighthouse?
Book an intro meeting if you want to hear more about what offers are relevant to you. Students can book a meeting here, while researchers can book a meeting with an innovation partner here.
Students and researchers can also read more about Lighthouse on our digital platform: https://lighthouse.ku.dk/studerende/
How long can I be part of Lighthouse?
KU Lighthouse has a strong community of KU students who receive support and sparring to mature their startups. We take great responsibility for helping our teams on their journey as entrepreneurs, and students can basically be part of Lighthouse while studying at UCPH. After that, we hope that they will continue to be part of our community - and maybe even mentor a new generation of entrepreneurs. Recent graduates can apply to join the Entrepreneur in Residence programme and continue to be part of Lighthouse.
Rules of behaviour
As part of our community, you must comply with the University's rules for good behaviour, which are laid down in accordance with the rules in the University Act, see https://kunet.ku.dk/arbejdsomraader/undervisning/eksamen/Sider/Eksamenssnyd.aspx?searchHitHighlight=ordensregler.
Among other things, it follows from the University's rules of conduct that;
§1. in connection with their education, students must behave considerately and properly towards fellow students and staff so as not to cause inconvenience to others, cause damage to others or to the property of others or the University.
§ 2. The student must comply with the instructions and orders given by employees. The student must comply with internal rules, including rules of order or safety regulations that appear from signs, notices or rules in laboratories, libraries, teaching, examination and meeting rooms, canteens, etc.
§ 3. Conditions that constitute unacceptable behaviour, and thereby a violation of the rules of conduct, include
a) Harassing, threatening or violent behaviour
b) Forgery of documents
c) Cheating on exams
d) Disruption of teaching and noisy behaviour
e) Vandalism
f) Infringement of intellectual property rights
g) Offensive behaviour such as bullying, humiliation, sexual harassment
h) Non-compliance with a study board decision
i) Misuse of data/data hacking
j) Violation of patient/client contact norms
k) Violation of smoking ban
l) Theft
m) Illegal possession of euphoriant substances
Read more about UCPH's efforts to manage innovation
The University of Copenhagen has adopted a new strategy for innovation, which you can read here.
The University of Copenhagen is one of Europe's leading universities when measured by research. Now the university wants to develop more of the good ideas and realise them in practice so that they benefit society even more.
‘If we are to contribute more to creating the sustainable society of the future, our knowledge must also be brought more directly into play in strong partnerships and business collaborations, and through more spinouts and student-driven startups.’
Henrik C. Wegener, Rector
Courses and events on innovation and entrepreneurship
UCPH Lighthouse has several courses and programmes on the things you need to know as an entrepreneur. You can learn about idea development, financing, how to build a great team, the legal challenges of entrepreneurship and how to engage others. You can also immerse yourself in finance, event planning, team dynamics - and much more.
We also organise open events where we look at societal challenges and try to find innovative solutions. These events are attended by students, researchers and people from the business community. If you have a relevant event you would like to organise in UCPH Lighthouse, please get in touch.