Anne Sophie Vinther Hansen

The day after I graduated, I started full-time as CEO of my own company. I had 30 million in my hand and a consortium of international industry partners to create green fuels with. People have often asked me how I, as a recent graduate, could take on such a risky venture that no one had ever done before. First and foremost, I could because the climate crisis MUST be solved. And if we are to do so without having to live like in the Stone Age, green innovation is essential for us to succeed. But I was also driven by a sense of defiance. It annoys me when old desk jockeys say that nothing can be done. The combination of the two things still drives me. New technology can do great things. And the commercialization of new technology has the potential for deep structural societal change. To have a big impact, new solutions need to be rolled out on a large scale. In this way, commercialization of new technology can create growth and new opportunities. But moving new technology and innovation out of laboratories and knowledge institutions and into society where it can be useful is often really difficult. It requires an understanding of the market and customers, business models, the regulatory framework and the right types of capital at the right time. To succeed with the green transition, we need to develop, scale and commercialize new technology and knowledge at an unprecedented pace. We should not sit and wait for the transition to come to us. We must throw ourselves into it! I am passionate about putting new technology to work. I want to create something good. But I also want to create something great. And I want to do it with inspiring people who want to make a difference.