For almost two centuries the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has been dedicated to fulfilling the vision of H.C. Ørsted – the father of electromagnetism, who founded the university in 1829 – to develop and create value, using the technical sciences to the benefit of society. Today, DTU is the leading Danish university in engineering and technology, and ranks as one of the foremost technical universities in Europe.
In November 2016, the Danish Government released a new strategy to strengthen Danish research and education in the Arctic. DTU supports this strategy and contributes to its fulfilment through its long experience with research and educational activities in the Arctic. DTU is also represented in several Arctic Council activities, f.ex. by a co-chair in the Task Force on Telecommunications Infrastructure in the Arctic (TFTIA).
One result of the DTU dedication to Arctic research, education and inovation is the strategic cooperation with the Government of Greenland through the Arctic Technology Centre (ARTEK) based at the DTU Civil Engineering Department. ARTEK is a joint venture formally established in 2000 with the purpose to conduct world class research within the field of Arctic Technology and educate a new generation of engineers with special focus on Arctic and Cold Climate Engineering. For that purpose DTU/ARTEK operates a campus in Sisimiut (67°N), West Greenland, which hosts the only BEng programme in Arctic Engineering actually located in the Arctic, as well as international master level courses as part of the Nordic Master in Cold Climate Engineering. ARTEK is part of the University of the Arctic, and actively engaged in educating engineers with Inuit background to the benefit of the Arctic societies. The intake of Inuit students on the BEng in Arctic Technology is approximately 30%.
DTU/ARTEK is partner and actively involved in the Centre for Research based Innovation SAMCoT, Sustainable Arctic Coastal Technology. One work package of SAMCoT (Coastal Technology) focuses on designing, building and running Arctic Coastal Infrastructure under influence of relevant processes such as permafrost thaw and coastal erosion in a changing climate. This well-established research cooperation within the framework of SAMCoT provides a firm base for completing the research tasks planned in the Nunataryuk project.
The National Institute of Aquatic Resources (DTU Aqua) has a long tradition in Arctic and North Atlantic oceanographic (biological, chemcial and physical) and fisheries research. The research group associated with this proposal has studied the supply, transformation and fate of terrestrial organic matter in the Arctic Ocean. The focus has been both on carbon cycling, bio-optics and using terrestrial organic matter as a water mass tracer, with strong links to research groups in Greenland (Greenland Institute for Natural Resources), Germany (AWI) and Norway (Norwegian Polar Institute).
Main tasks in the project
DTU-ARTEK will lead WP6 Coastal Infrastructure and will specifically conduct the research tasks on community- scale hazard mapping of infrastructure, and take responsibility for coordinating fieldwork and stakeholder interaction at the primary site in Greenland. DTU will conduct laboratory scale small tank experiments with thawing permafrost, and contribute technical expertise to WP5,WP7 and WP9.
DTU-Aqua will also participate in the field observations and sample analysis to be carried out as part of WP4 Coastal Waters, in particular the sampling and charactersiation of dissolved organic matter in Arctic coastal waters.
DTU staff involved in Nunataryuk
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Lead of WP6
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Researcher in WP6
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PhD student in WP6
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PI in WP4
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