University of Southern Denmark

The University of Southern Denmark (SDU) is one of Denmark’s youngest research universities (established in 1966) with 21,000 students. Two organizations at SDU are involved in the proposed activities: the research center for Fundamental Living Technology (FlinT) and the science policy and –outreach center, the Initiative for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP). The organizational coordination for the SDU activities will occur through FlinT.
FlinT was established in November 2007, with a research focus on developing and assemble minimal living nano-systems bottom up. The main mission of the FlinT center is to assemble the components of minimal living systems, ultimately protocells, bottom up from inorganic and organic components. Our long-term technological vision is to develop the foundation for living technology characterized by robustness, autonomy, energy efficiency, sustainability, local intelligence, self-repair, adaptation, and self-replication, all properties current technology lack, but living systems possess.
The science policy and –outreach center, the Initiative for Science, Society and Policy (ISSP) was established in 2009 with the mission to make science and technology integral components of societal planning and the public discourse. The main mission of ISSP is to promote Scientific Social Responsibility by making science and technology integral components of societal planning and the public discourse. Modern societies should maximally benefit from the scientific expertise at their universities, and scientists should reflect on their role in society and their responsibility to participate in civic processes. Scientists’ involvement outside the academy can take many forms, including interacting with businesses, the arts, the political community, and those crafting public policy. Through specific projects, ISSP seeks to catalyze progressive and sustainable social change, through constructive engagement and public discourse involving scientists and stake-holders, powerbrokers, and the general public.

FlinT and ISSP contribute in close cooperation to Platforms “SynBio Futures” and “Art, Culture & Society” as well as to the commission of Online Communication.