Vejle becomes a university city: SDU is establishing a campus focusing on IT and STEM programmes
The ambitions have been present since 2021 and now they are becoming a reality. The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) can now announce its historic decision to establish a new campus in Vejle, dedicated to IT and STEM education, with support from the LEGO Group and Vejle Municipality.
SDU’s strong connections to South and Southern Jutland were emphasised in the latter half of the 1990s, when the University, whose main campus is situated in Odense, was expanded with three campuses in Esbjerg (SDU Esbjerg), Sønderborg (SDU Sønderborg) and Kolding (SDU Kolding). Now, more than 25 years later, the connections across the Little Belt will be strengthened even more when SDU Vejle becomes a reality from 2026, when the first students are matriculated.
The new campus is a major step forward for both SDU and the Triangle Region, as it will forge a strong international research and educational environment that gives businesses in the Region of Southern Denmark direct access to cutting-edge knowledge and interaction with talented students.
World-class research and educational environment
Jens Ringsmose, Rector of SDU, says: ‘There’s no doubt that I have been incredibly excited to announce that SDU’s ambitions to set up a presence in Vejle are now becoming a reality. With SDU Vejle, we will create a world-class research and educational environment where we bring research closer to practice and innovation in collaboration with the local business community.’
‘Our aim is to support sustainable growth and deliver solutions to specific challenges regionally, nationally and globally. We see it as a fundamental core mission to educate talented graduates for the entire Region of Southern Denmark – and we have great ambitions to offer research and education that combine a strong national anchoring with a clear international profile.’
Jens Ringsmose emphasises that the new campus is 100% dependent on the great support that the municipality and the business community have shown for the project. The close collaboration with both local and international companies will ensure that the campus contributes solutions to specific challenges and promotes sustainable growth in the Region of Southern Denmark.
The LEGO Group is the first among several expected companies to enter into a collaboration with SDU on creating a strong research and educational environment in Vejle by financing the centres of the Faculty of Engineering and the Faculty of Science. The heads of centre are employed as so-called ‘LEGO® Chairs’, which refers to the concrete collaboration and exchange between the LEGO Group as a company and the teaching as well as the research taking place at the centres. In addition to the funding from the LEGO Group, SDU is also in dialogue with other companies about support.
Niels B. Christiansen, CEO & President of the LEGO Group, says: ‘We greatly appreciate our new collaboration with SDU on the establishment of IT programmes at university level in Vejle. We have taken major steps towards becoming a more digital organisation and have three times as many digital experts today as we did three years ago. The collaboration with SDU will bring us closer to new digital talents in the future. At the same time, we can share our digital experiences and ambitions and thus contribute to SDU’s high academic level.’
Political support
In March 2022, the settlement parties behind the agreement on the relocation of education programmes allocated DKK 19M for the establishment of IT and STEM programmes in the Triangle Region. An important milestone in relation to SDU’s ambitions to create an SDU Vejle campus capable of meeting the demand for IT specialists, and the need in the Triangle Region is expected to increase significantly in the years to come. It is planned that approx. 400 students can start their bachelor's degree in 2026. Approx. half of the student places will be for international students.
Jens Ejner Christensen, Mayor of Vejle Municipality, says: ‘I am incredibly proud that Vejle is becoming a university city. We have been trying to achieve this for many years. With SDU’s presence in the city, both Danish and international talents are being educated, who can help ensure the competitiveness of the Triangle Region. At the same time, future IT specialists from SDU Vejle will be crucial for us to be able to meet an increasing need for qualified labour and to maintain a strong business community both now and in the future.’
SDU Vejle is set to become a hub of excellent research and education that attracts national and international researchers and students alike. The new campus will offer several in-demand English-language degree programmes in digitalisation, software development and artificial intelligence (AI).
