Organisation
The Centre for Sustainable Agrifood Systems (START) is a science-driven, academic and multi-disciplinary research platform that enables basic research collaboration within the field of sustainable Agrifood Systems. The platform comprises a joint effort by researchers from the united Danish universities - together STARTS represents a European research powerhouse.
START is founded by the united Danish Universities and represents
- Aarhus University (AU)
- Technical University of Denmark (DTU)
- University of Copenhagen (KU)
- Aalborg University (AAU)
- Copenhagen Business School (CBS)
- IT University of Copenhagen (ITU)
- Roskilde University (RUC)
- University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
The START organisation
START is based on a distributed governance model operated by the START Steering Committee under a rotation chair principal. The Chair position rotates on an annual basis.
The heart of START is the START Research Hubs. The Hubs are driven by several engaged Academic Hub Coordinators from various universities and disciplines with knowledge, insights and experiences within the topic of the Hub.
The START secretariat is coordinated from Aarhus University yet, operated by a joint Administrative Support Team represented by the individual universities.
Meet the START Steering Committee
Andreas de Neergaard
START Chair 2026, Vice-dean for Education, KU
Jens Ejbye Schmidt
Head of the Department for Green Technologies, SDU
Andrea Carugati
Head of Department of Digitalization, CBS
Eskild Holm Nielsen
Dean, AU
Brian Vinter
Vice-dean for Research, AU
Ole Hertel
Vice-dean for Outreach, AU
Tine Rask Licht
Director of Institute, DTU National Food Institute
Michael Toft Overgaard
Vice-dean for Research and Innovation, AAU
Peter Kjær
Head of Department of People and Technology, RUC
Morten Hjelholt
Professor, Head of Research, ITU
Meet the START Hub Supporters and the Administrative Team
Kristine Howe Kjer
START Coordinator, Special Consultant
Email: kjer@au.dk
Ivelina Aleksandrova Bronke
Project Administrator
Email: ivbr@food.dtu.dk
Phone: +45 93 51 15 32
- Future Agrifood Systems
- 2GETHER
Susanne Kjelstrup
Head of TEK Innovation, Senior Adviser
Email: sukj@tek.sdu.dk
Phone: +45 65 50 71 41
- BioLand
Jens Riemer
Green Transformation Officer, Executive Support and Communication
Email: jr.go@cbs.dk
Phone: +45 22 48 22 36
- People & Practices
- Collaborative Landscapes
Jacob Thyrsted Johansen
Special Consultant, Project Developer and Fundraiser
Email: thyrsted@food.au.dk
Phone: +45 22 21 08 22
- Collaborative Landscapes
- Health
- DIGITAL
Christian Kvorning Lassen
Project Manager and Advisor, Fundraiser
Email: chrkl@food.au.dk
Phone: +45 20 92 85 20
- Circularity of Nutrients
- Genetic Adaptation
