Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University

What Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University does

The Interacting Minds Centre (IMC) is an interdisciplinary research center established in 2012 within the School of Culture and Society at Aarhus University in Denmark. IMC combines cognitive science, neuroscience, anthropology, philosophy, and psychology to investigate social cognition, consciousness, and human interaction. Its technical and methodological portfolio includes pioneering approaches such as micro-phenomenology (developed by Claire Petitmengin), multimodal anthropology, and computational modeling of delusionality for AI agents. IMC operates a portfolio of roughly twelve research projects including the ERC-funded Heart Openings project studying religious experiences across Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam in multiple countries; the DKK 25 million HOPE project on democratic responses to COVID-19; the EER collaboration with Studio Olafur Eliasson on perception experiments; Mechanisms of Madness; Power of the Model on biomedical ethics; CollaboLearn for autism education; and the BRIGHT healthcare-humanities hub.

IMC does not operate as a commercial entity. Its business model is grant-based: projects are funded by the Carlsberg Foundation, the European Research Council, EU Horizon 2020, the VELUX Foundation, the Aarhus University Research Foundation (AUFF NOVA), and VolkswagenStiftung, with total disclosed multi-year grant funding exceeding DKK 42 million from the Carlsberg Foundation alone plus approximately EUR 2 million in ERC support. Customer segments are exclusively non-commercial, including academic researchers, PhD students and postdoctoral trainees, healthcare practitioners, museums, and specialized schools. Outputs are disseminated through peer-reviewed publications, the Interacting Minds Podcast, monthly newsletters, museum exhibitions at Steno, Moesgaard, and the National Museum of Denmark, and regular public seminars. In 2024, IMC supported the launch of its first commercial spinout, Tinke Studio, which builds interactive platforms at the intersection of art, science, and communication.

Name

Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University

Legal name

Aarhus Universitet

Website

https://interactingminds.au.dk

Company type

Public

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Interacting Minds Centre at Aarhus University is an interdisciplinary research center combining cognitive science, neuroscience, anthropology, and philosophy to study social cognition, consciousness, and human interaction. It conducts grant-funded research projects and serves academic researchers, healthcare practitioners, museums, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

akta.pro primary industry

Autism Classroom & School Program Support (Inclusion/Resource) (EDAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Autism Executive Functioning & Academic Skills Intervention (EDAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary cognitive research
• Academic research services
• Micro-phenomenology methodology
• Qualitative data collaboration
• Social cognition research

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarhus

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Interacting Minds Centre is an interdisciplinary university research centre that conducts academic research and methodological development at the intersection of cognitive science, anthropology, philosophy, and psychology, studying social cognition, consciousness, and human interaction. It delivers funded research projects, postdoctoral training, an open qualitative-data collaboration platform (Open Your Data), arts-science exhibitions with Studio Olafur Eliasson, pedagogical methods such as CollaboLearn/Brick Crews for autism education, and the BRIGHT social-sciences-and-health hub, with outputs disseminated via publications, seminars, podcasts, and museum exhibitions.

Product overview

The Interacting Minds Centre (IMC) at Aarhus University is an interdisciplinary research center (not a commercial product company) that operates multiple research projects and collaborative platforms. The portfolio includes research collaboration tools like Open Your Data (OYD) for qualitative data sessions, pedagogical methods such as CollaboLearn with its Brick Crews approach for autism education, and various ERC/Carlsberg-funded research projects spanning consciousness studies, religious experience (Heart Openings), biomedical ethics (Power of the Model), AI modeling of delusions (Mechanisms of Madness), COVID-19 behavior (HOPE), mindfulness-based depression prevention, and arts-science collaboration (EER with Studio Olafur Eliasson). The center also hosts BRIGHT, a hub for social sciences and humanities in health. As a university research center, the focus is on advancing cognitive science, anthropology, and interdisciplinary research rather than commercial product development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Open Your Data (OYD) Monthly open collaborative sessions for interdisciplinary researchers to discuss and unpack qualitative data analysis together, increasing transparency in all phases of the qualitative research process and welcoming all types of qualitative methods, data, and analytical strategies. Targeted at academic researchers at all career stages.
• CollaboLearn with Brick Crews (Klub Klods) Pedagogical method for playful social learning with children on the autism spectrum, co-developed with autistic children, teachers, researchers, and parents, including the Brick Crews (Klub Klods) play-based activities and pedagogical documentation tools that scaffold social learning and enable children to iterate their social actions.
• Heart Openings Project Interdisciplinary ERC-funded research project examining the experience and cultivation of love in Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam through interviews, participant observation, audiovisual, and micro-phenomenological methods across Denmark, the UK, USA, Nepal, Papua New Guinea, Tanzania, Egypt and other sites.
• Power of the Model Research project examining the ethical and social implications of transitioning from animal-based to human-based models in biomedical research, including human-induced pluripotent stem cells, organ-on-chip, and organoids, funded by AUFF NOVA.
• Modellens Kraft (Power of Models) Interdisciplinary research project producing new knowledge about physical models and modelling activities in museums, and developing a new format for co-creative exhibition-making through cognitive science and anthropological methods, funded by Velux Foundation.
• Mechanisms of Madness

Quantifiable outcome

• CollaboLearn project shows children able to generalize social learning to other contexts after ten weeks of Brick Crews intervention
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Steno Science MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Power of the Model project collaborates with Steno Science Museum to educate and engage secondary and high school students on human-based models in biomedical research.
• University of BristolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Power of the Model project includes Prof. Gavin Welsh from University of Bristol contributing expertise in renal cell biology.
• University Medical Center GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Power of the Model project collaboration with Prof. Henri Leuvenink from UMC Groningen specializing in experimental transplantation surgery.
• Kitchen, Aarhus UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Supported development of Tinke Studio spinout company from IMC, which builds interactive platforms at intersection of art, science, and communication.
• University of WarsawcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020EU-funded TRAINCREASE project partners with University of Warsaw to promote interdisciplinary research in abstract concepts and words in human interaction, with twinning collaboration improving UW's R&I potential. Andreas Roepstorff serves as Principal Investigator at AU.
• University of ManchestercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020TRAINCREASE project partner contributing to the twinning collaboration with University of Warsaw, enhancing research skills and capabilities in human-machine collaboration and abstract concept modeling.
• Sapienza University of RomecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020TRAINCREASE project partner in the EU Horizon 2020 initiative focused on human-centered technology development and interdisciplinary research in abstract concepts.
• The National Museum of DenmarkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Power of Modelling project collaboration with National Museum hosting concluding conference and developing physical models for exhibition-making.
• Moesgaard MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Modellens Kraft project collaboration with Moesgaard Museum as part of interdisciplinary team investigating physical models in science communication.
• Royal Danish AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Power of Modelling project collaboration with Royal Danish Academy researchers examining modelling activities and cognitive mechanisms.
• IT University of CopenhagencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Modellens Kraft project collaboration contributing interdisciplinary expertise to investigation of physical models and exhibition-making.
• Studio Olafur EliassoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Long-term collaboration on Experimenting, Experiencing, Reflecting project developing experiments at intersection of research and artistic practices, with Olafur Eliasson as Studio Director and core team member.
• LangagerskolencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Collaboration between specialized autism school and IMC researchers to develop CollaboLearn method for social learning, with school director Jens Frostholm on project steering group.
• Oxford Mindfulness Centre, Oxford UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Mindfulness and Depression Prevention project involves international collaboration with Oxford Mindfulness Centre researchers including Prof. Willem Kuyken and Catherine Crane on MBCT effectiveness.
• Danish Mindfulness Center, Aarhus UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Research collaboration with Danish Mindfulness Center (Ass. Prof. Lone Fjorback) on mechanisms of change in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences: Internationally leading interdisciplinary research institute studying human cognitive and brain functions using neuroscience, psychology, and imaging methods. Directly comparable to IMC's interdisciplinary cognitive-science mission, talent model, and grant-funded operating structure.
• Santa Fe Institute: Independent, interdisciplinary research institute studying complex systems across biology, cognition, and social science. Comparable in its cross-disciplinary integration philosophy and pioneering methodological approach.
• Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour: Radboud University's multidisciplinary research institute studying brain, cognition, and behaviour with strong international collaboration networks. Comparable in mission, talent pool, and reliance on external research grants.
• Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC), University of Trento: University research centre integrating cognitive neuroscience, psychology, and philosophy to study mind and brain. Closely comparable in scale, interdisciplinary structure, and grant-driven research portfolio to IMC.
• UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience: University College London's dedicated institute for cognitive neuroscience research, education, and public engagement. Comparable interdisciplinary research mission, methodological focus on cognition, and strong publication output.
• Oxford Mindfulness Centre, University of Oxford: University research centre focused on mindfulness research, including MBCT for depression prevention. Already an active research collaborator with IMC and directly comparable in cognitive/clinical research mission and grant-funded structure.
• Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences (ELSC): Hebrew University's interdisciplinary brain-sciences research centre combining neuroscience, cognition, and computational approaches. Comparable interdisciplinary model and elite-grant funding profile.

Broad incumbents

• Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University: Stanford's interdisciplinary institute advancing understanding of the brain and cognition through collaboration across natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Comparable interdisciplinary orientation but with substantially larger resources and brand.
• Karolinska Institutet: Sweden's premier medical university with major research programmes in neuroscience, psychiatry, and developmental disorders. Comparable as a Nordic, publicly funded research university with overlapping cognitive and clinical research themes.
• Allen Institute for Brain Science: Larger, well-funded US non-profit conducting large-scale brain and cognitive science research with industry-scale resources and open-science data outputs. Overlaps with IMC's research mission but at materially greater scale and scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/interact_minds
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aarhus-university-denmark-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University