On 6 November 2026, IPU Fonden awarded IPU Prisen 2026 to two researchers whose work makes a difference in Danish industry. Read about the winners below and download their presentations from the Award Ceremony.

About IPU Prisen 2026

IPU Prisen 2026 awards DKK 200,000 to automation research that makes a difference in Danish industry. For the first time, the prize was given in two categories, each worth DKK 100,000:

• Early-career researcher
• Senior researcher

This year’s theme

This year’s theme was Automation as a driver for innovation and industrial collaboration. It reflects a challenge many Danish companies know well: automation only creates value when research and industry work together.

Nominations and selection

Eight Danish universities each nominated two candidates, 16 in total. The winners were selected by the IPU Fonden board, which brings together extensive experience from industry and research:

Hans Nørgaard Hansen, Tina Moe, Christian Jørgensen, Klaus Schütt Hansen and Daniel Minzari.

Early-career researcher: Researcher Nicholas Hansen, DTU Electro

Intelligent decision-making

The hardest part of autonomy isn’t getting a machine to make a decision. It’s proving that it will make the right one.

Nicholas turns human rules and good practice into logic that an autonomous system can follow, check and explain.

At sea, he helped turn the collision regulations into an autonomous decision system for the Danish company SenseMakers. That work supported the approval of the company’s autonomous navigation.

Senior researcher: Professor Christian Schlette, SDU

Intelligent execution

Christian makes automation pay off for small series and products that change from order to order.

Robotic operations are planned, programmed and tested in a digital twin, straight from the design data.

As head of SDU Center for Large Structure Production (LSP), he runs one of the world’s largest robot workspaces. He also coordinates the national project “LSP Ship Factory” with five Danish shipyards.

From left to right:
Researcher Nicholas Hansen, DTU Electro
Professor Christian Schlette, SDU