Danish Social Innovation Academy will receive DKK 2 million from Lauritzen Fonden over the next four years. The grant will support the Academy's work to build capacity for social innovation in Denmark and ensure a national strategy in the field.
Denmark is facing a new global reality where both our democracy and security are under pressure. The external security threats are clear, but there is also great pressure from within in the form of rising inequality and declining trust in democratic systems around the world.
Therefore, we need to strengthen our collective ability to create a more sustainable future - economically, green and socially. Danish Social Innovation Academy is a community of leaders exploring and enabling new, collective societal solutions through social innovation.
With the grant of DKK 2 million from the Lauritzen Foundation, the Academy will be able to focus its work on ensuring broad support and a deeper understanding of social innovation.
Board Chair of the Danish Social Innovation Academy Sara Gry Striegler:
"Social innovation is a crucial lever for positive social change. In the Academy, leaders from all sectors contribute to that change, while building and spreading the capacity to work with social innovation across society to address and solve complex challenges. Whether it's young people outside the labour market, recruitment to the elderly sector, health equity or future generations' trust in democracy."
Social innovation must be widely embedded
Social innovation is social change through collective action and is both a recognized field of research and an applied practice. While social innovation has long been widespread internationally, the approach is not widely used in Denmark today.
Academy Director Anders Folmer Buhelt:
"The Danish welfare society is actually built on social innovation in the form of large, collective movements such as the housing movement and the cooperative movement. We are therefore in an unusually strong position to unleash the power that lies across our society. But it requires a systematic effort to build capacity and broad political support. That's why the Academy's ambition is to secure a national strategy in this area."
Established in 2019, Danish Social Innovation Academy has over the past five years established itself as a major player in social change. The Academy's work addresses all areas where social innovation can play a role, including the future welfare society and green transition.
At the same time, the Academy's members contribute to key change communities such as Forandringskraft and the Future Coalition and Paths for Everyone, which works for systemic change in young people's path to jobs and education. Internationally, the Academy is part of a pan-European collaboration as Denmark's national competence center for social innovation. Social innovation is today a significant focus area for the EU, and the national competence centers are tasked with disseminating social innovation and building a network in the field.
Social innovation as a driving force
The grant comes from the Lauritzen Foundation, which sees social innovation as a crucial driving force in the development of future society.
Deputy Director Kathrine Geisler Madsen:
"We see social innovation as an essential lever for future sustainable social solutions. For a number of years, Danish Social Innovation Academy has played a central role as an infrastructure for knowledge, networking and capacity building in the field. With the grant, we want to strengthen the Academy's work and contribute to a broader anchoring of social innovation in Denmark."
About the Academy
The Academy has existed since 2019 as a non-profit association with the purpose of bringing top leaders together to create social change. In 2025, the Academy has 81 members and over 160 leaders have been members during the Academy's lifetime. Danish Social Innovation Academy builds and expands the social innovation ecosystem in Denmark by disseminating and connecting knowledge about social innovation with the practice that members and their networks represent.The Academy receives project and operating support from the Bikuben Foundation, the Lauritzen Foundation and the EU.
About Lauritzen Fonden
Lauritzen Fonden is a commercial foundation that supports non-profit activities - especially aimed at children and young people in vulnerable positions. The foundation has its roots in the maritime industry, but social and humanitarian responsibility has always been in focus alongside the business. Today, the foundation works to ensure that more children and young people become part of positive communities and find their way into education and jobs.
Press contact:
Ulla Dubgaard
Communications Manager, Danish Social Innovation Academy
6172 0485 / ulla@afsi.dk
Denmark is facing a new global reality where both our democracy and security are under pressure. The external security threats are clear, but there is also great pressure from within in the form of rising inequality and declining trust in democratic systems around the world.
Therefore, we need to strengthen our collective ability to create a more sustainable future - economically, green and socially. Danish Social Innovation Academy is a community of leaders exploring and enabling new, collective societal solutions through social innovation.
With the grant of DKK 2 million from the Lauritzen Foundation, the Academy will be able to focus its work on ensuring broad support and a deeper understanding of social innovation.
Board Chair of the Danish Social Innovation Academy Sara Gry Striegler:
"Social innovation is a crucial lever for positive social change. In the Academy, leaders from all sectors contribute to that change, while building and spreading the capacity to work with social innovation across society to address and solve complex challenges. Whether it's young people outside the labour market, recruitment to the elderly sector, health equity or future generations' trust in democracy."
Social innovation must be widely embedded
Social innovation is social change through collective action and is both a recognized field of research and an applied practice. While social innovation has long been widespread internationally, the approach is not widely used in Denmark today.
Academy Director Anders Folmer Buhelt:
"The Danish welfare society is actually built on social innovation in the form of large, collective movements such as the housing movement and the cooperative movement. We are therefore in an unusually strong position to unleash the power that lies across our society. But it requires a systematic effort to build capacity and broad political support. That's why the Academy's ambition is to secure a national strategy in this area."
Established in 2019, Danish Social Innovation Academy has over the past five years established itself as a major player in social change. The Academy's work addresses all areas where social innovation can play a role, including the future welfare society and green transition.
At the same time, the Academy's members contribute to key change communities such as Forandringskraft and the Future Coalition and Paths for Everyone, which works for systemic change in young people's path to jobs and education. Internationally, the Academy is part of a pan-European collaboration as Denmark's national competence center for social innovation. Social innovation is today a significant focus area for the EU, and the national competence centers are tasked with disseminating social innovation and building a network in the field.
Social innovation as a driving force
The grant comes from the Lauritzen Foundation, which sees social innovation as a crucial driving force in the development of future society.
Deputy Director Kathrine Geisler Madsen:
"We see social innovation as an essential lever for future sustainable social solutions. For a number of years, Danish Social Innovation Academy has played a central role as an infrastructure for knowledge, networking and capacity building in the field. With the grant, we want to strengthen the Academy's work and contribute to a broader anchoring of social innovation in Denmark."
About the Academy
The Academy has existed since 2019 as a non-profit association with the purpose of bringing top leaders together to create social change. In 2025, the Academy has 81 members and over 160 leaders have been members during the Academy's lifetime. Danish Social Innovation Academy builds and expands the social innovation ecosystem in Denmark by disseminating and connecting knowledge about social innovation with the practice that members and their networks represent.The Academy receives project and operating support from the Bikuben Foundation, the Lauritzen Foundation and the EU.
About Lauritzen Fonden
Lauritzen Fonden is a commercial foundation that supports non-profit activities - especially aimed at children and young people in vulnerable positions. The foundation has its roots in the maritime industry, but social and humanitarian responsibility has always been in focus alongside the business. Today, the foundation works to ensure that more children and young people become part of positive communities and find their way into education and jobs.
Press contact:
Ulla Dubgaard
Communications Manager, Danish Social Innovation Academy
6172 0485 / ulla@afsi.dk
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