What BigScience.dk does

BigScience.dk is a Danish national initiative that serves as the official Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) connecting Danish industry with major European Big Science research facilities. Operated jointly by Teknologisk Institut and DTU and funded through Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen (Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science) via GTS result contracts, it currently maintains ILO designations for seven facilities — CERN, ESS, ESRF, ESO, EU-XFEL, F4E/ITER, and ILL — and a network of 350+ Danish member companies.

Its core offering is a free basic membership that delivers bi-weekly tender notifications, targeted ILO outreach on relevant bids, access to study tours and networking events, and inclusion in the Danish pavilion at the Big Science Business Forum. Optional paid add-ons include advisory for specific tenders, company-initiated facility visits, and event booth participation (e.g., 14,000 DKK per BSBF2026 booth). The organization does not develop proprietary technology; its value derives from information services, network effects, and privileged channels to procurement decision-makers. It operates from offices in Høje Taastrup, Aarhus, and Lyngby in Denmark, plus a Lund office at Science Village Scandinavia adjacent to the ESS facility.

Documented outcomes are material at the market level: Denmark's return coefficient at CERN rose from 0.30 (2020) to 1.04 (2024), with Danish companies winning a record 110 million DKK in CERN contracts that year. Standout member wins include INTERTEC GROUP's B&S International France securing a 4 million EUR F4E contract for ITER cryogenic connections and JJ X-Ray becoming a key supplier to multiple ESS instruments.

Name

BigScience.dk

Legal name

BigScience.dk

Website

https://bigscience.dk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BigScience.dk is a Danish publicly funded national initiative, operated by Teknologisk Institut and DTU, that acts as Industrial Liaison Officer for CERN, ESS, ESO, ESRF, EU-XFEL, F4E/ITER, and ILL, connecting 350+ Danish companies with Big Science procurement opportunities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research and Technology Consulting Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Knowledge Management & KCS Programs (BPAEAJAJ), Third-Party Risk, Vendor Due Diligence & Supply Chain Compliance (BPAEAPAG)

Keywords

• Big science liaison
• Industrial liaison services
• Research facility access
• Technology transfer services
• Public-private partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

Høje Taastrup

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Basic Membership: Free basic membership for Danish companies and knowledge institutions interested in the Big Science market. Members receive direct notifications of new tenders, invitations to events and study tours, and access to the member network.
2. Paid Advisory Services: Optional paid services including advisory related to specific tenders or offers, company-initiated visits to or from Big Science facilities. These are add-on services beyond the free basic membership.
3. Event Participation Fees: Fees for participation in events such as Big Science Business Forum 2026, priced at 14,000 DKK for the Danish pavilion booth.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BigScience.dk is a Danish national initiative that operates as an Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) network, connecting Danish companies with major European Big Science research facilities including CERN, ESS, ESRF, ESO, EU-XFEL, ITER/F4E, and ILL. It provides free membership, one-on-one advisory services, technology transfer facilitation, procurement opportunity information, and event-based networking to help Danish industry access contracts and collaborations with these research facilities.

Product overview

BigScience.dk is a network platform operated by Teknologisk Institut and DTU that serves as the link between Danish industry and major European research facilities (Big Science). The offering consists of a free network membership (BigScience.dk Network) that provides procurement monitoring, information services, competence development, promotion services, and matchmaking activities. The core Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) function connects Danish companies with procurement opportunities from organizations like CERN, ESS, ITER, ESO, ESRF, EU-XFEL, and ILL. The platform organizes events including annual network meetings and coordinates Danish participation in forums like BSBF2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BigScience.dk Free Membership Free basic membership program providing Danish companies with access to information about Big Science procurement opportunities, facility news, and the broader network of 350+ Danish member companies. Targeted at Danish technology suppliers and research-collaborating firms.
• BigScience.dk Advisory Services Paid one-on-one advisory service that provides personalized strategic guidance to Danish companies seeking to engage with European Big Science research facilities, including support for identifying relevant opportunities and navigating procurement processes.
• BigScience.dk Events and Delegation Trips Organized seminars, workshops, and delegation trips to Big Science facilities (e.g., CERN, ESS, ESRF, ESO, EU-XFEL, ITER/F4E, ILL), enabling Danish companies to build direct relationships with facility procurement officers and researchers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Denmark's return coefficient at CERN exceeded 1.0 for the first time in 2024, rising from 0.30 in 2020 to 1.04
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and minor.

• Teknologisk InstitutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeknologisk Institut is one of Denmark's leading technological service companies and is the primary operational host of BigScience.dk. The organization's Materialedivisionen (Materials Division) provides specialized expertise in development, testing, and characterization of advanced materials. Most BigScience.dk staff are from Teknologisk Institut.
• DTU (Danmarks Tekniske Universitet)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDTU (specifically DTU Physics / Institut for Fysik) is a key partner in BigScience.dk, contributing deep expertise in fusion energy, plasma physics, materials research, and measurement techniques used in international fusion projects like ITER. DTU staff (e.g., Søren Bang Korsholm) serve as ILO for F4E/ITER.
• Uddannelses- og Forskningsstyrelsen (Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science)coreOthersThe agency provides government funding and support to BigScience.dk. The initiative has been funded through GTS result contracts from the agency to Teknologisk Institut with DTU as partner. The agency also backs the initiative directly.
• CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCERN is one of the world's largest research centers for particle physics. BigScience.dk serves as the Danish Industrial Liaison Officer (ILO) for CERN. Danish companies won a record 110 million DKK in contracts at CERN in 2024, achieving a return coefficient of 1.04.
• ESS (European Spallation Source)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerESS is being built in Lund, Sweden, and will be the world's leading neutron source. Denmark has invested 2 billion DKK in ESS and is a co-owner. BigScience.dk has an office in Science Village Scandinavia adjacent to ESS and serves as Danish ILO for ESS.
• ESRF (European Synchrotron Radiation Facility)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerESRF in Grenoble, France, is a center for scientific expertise supported by 22 countries. BigScience.dk serves as purchasing advisor for Denmark for ESRF, helping Danish companies access procurement opportunities.
• ESO (European Southern Observatory)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerESO is the leading international astronomy center, operating major telescopes in Chile with headquarters in Garching, Germany. BigScience.dk serves as Danish ILO for ESO, facilitating Danish company participation in ESO procurement.
• EU-XFEL (European X-ray Free Electron Laser)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-XFEL is an ultra-intense X-ray source in Hamburg, Germany, installed in 3.4 km of underground tunnels. BigScience.dk's Nikolaj Zangenberg serves as Industrial Liaison Officer for EU-XFEL.
• ITER / Fusion for Energy (F4E)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerITER is an international fusion energy experiment in France. The European contribution to ITER is managed by Fusion for Energy (F4E) in Barcelona. BigScience.dk's Søren Bang Korsholm serves as ILO for F4E/ITER. Danish company B&S International France won the largest-ever F4E contract for a Danish-owned group (4M EUR).
• ILL (Institut Laue-Langevin)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerILL in Grenoble, France, is one of the world's leading neutron research centers. Denmark is a co-financing partner. BigScience.dk's Jonas Okkels Birk serves as ILO for ILL.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): Dutch applied research organization with established industrial-liaison programs into European research facilities and high-tech industry partnerships. Comparable as a larger, broader applied research and technology-transfer player operating in the same European innovation ecosystem as BigScience.dk.
• Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft: Germany's leading applied research organization with institute-level liaison roles for European Big Science facilities and deep industrial contract research capability. Comparable as a much larger national applied research body that acts as an industrial interface to research infrastructure.
• SINTEF: Norway's largest applied research institute with deep involvement in European research facility programs and industrial liaison activities. Comparable as a Nordic publicly funded applied research body that helps domestic suppliers engage with Big Science and other international research infrastructure.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Sweden's applied research institute group runs multiple sector-specific programs with industry-liaison functions and engages with Big Science facilities. Comparable as a publicly funded applied research organization performing the same bridging role between Nordic industry and research infrastructure.

Direct peers

• Finnish Big Science coordination (FMO / VTT-led): Finnish public actors coordinate national access to Big Science procurement through VTT and ministry channels, mirroring the Teknologisk Institut/DTU model in Denmark and serving Finnish SMEs targeting the same facilities.
• STFC Innovations (UK): UK's Science and Technology Facilities Council runs a national industrial liaison function for facilities including the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and contributes to CERN/ESO/ESRF. Comparable national-broker role linking domestic suppliers with European Big Science procurement opportunities.
• Big Science Sweden (ESS Industrial Liaison): Sweden's equivalent national Big Science industry liaison framework tied to ESS, MAX IV and other facilities. Operates with the same ILO mandate model and target audience of national SMEs bidding into research-facility procurement, making it the closest direct peer to BigScience.dk.

Emerging players

• DTU (Technical University of Denmark): Co-host of BigScience.dk and a major source of its ILO expertise in fusion/plasma physics and neutron science. Comparable as a publicly funded research and technology-transfer institution that bridges Danish academia with industrial applications in Big Science.
• Teknologisk Institut: Danish Technological Institute is both the host organization of BigScience.dk and a much larger applied research institute providing testing, materials characterization and industrial services. Relevant because it operates the parent vehicle through which BigScience.dk is funded and staffed.

Others

• CERN ILO Network: The network of national Industrial Liaison Officers coordinated by CERN, of which BigScience.dk is the Danish node. Comparable as the broader ecosystem in which BigScience.dk operates and against which its performance (e.g., the Danish return coefficient) is benchmarked.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BigScienceDanmark
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bigscience-dk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BigScience.dk