Approved Technological Service Institutes (GTS)

The Danish Approved Technological Service Institutes (in Danish abbreviated GTS, Godkendt Teknologisk Service) constitute a national network of non-profit organisations with commercial services. Their core mission is to develop, apply and disseminate advanced technological knowledge and services to strengthen the competitiveness and innovation capacity of the Danish business sector.

Seven GTS institutes in Denmark

Denmark has seven Approved Technological Service Institutes. The institutes are private, non-profit organisations mandated to build technological capabilities and provide specialised technological services to companies on market-based terms. They are formally approved and overseen by the Minister for Higher Education and Science.

Performance Contracts and Public Co-funding

The Ministry of Higher Education and Science, through the Danish Agency for Higher Education and Science, enters into multi-year performance contracts with the GTS institutes. These contracts provide public co-funding for targeted research and development activities aimed at building new technological competences and service offerings with high expected impact for Danish industry.

Typical GTS services include:

  • Technological consultancy and advisory services
  • Applied R&D and contract research
  • Testing, validation and demonstration
  • Certification and conformity assessment
  • Training and professional courses
  • Standardisation and participation in international standards development

Future Development of the GTS System

The Ministry of Higher Education and Science regularly launches competitive funding calls that allow approved GTS institutes to apply for co-funding to develop new knowledge, technologies and services in areas of strategic importance.

Information on supported research and development activities is publicly available at bedreinnovation.dk. The platform also enables stakeholders to comment on proposed future priority areas when new funding calls are announced.

Key Facts about the GTS Network

In 2024, the GTS institutes generated a combined turnover of more than 4,3 billion DKK and served 20,648 private Danish companies, of which 89 per cent were small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
In 2026, 369 million DKK were allocated in the Danish national budget to support technological serives. On average, public performance-contract funding accounts for approximately 8 per cent of the institutes’ total turnover, reflecting a strong market-oriented operating model.

The seven GTS institutes

  • Alexandra Institute A/S
  • Bioneer A/S
  • Danish Fundamental Metrology A/S
  • Danish Institute of Fire and Security Technology
  • DHI – Institute for Water and Environment
  • FORCE Technology
  • Danish Technological Institute

Publications

Evaluation of the GTS Institutes (in Danish) 
Latest GTS Performance Report (in Danish)
Executive Order No. 1775 of 30 November 2020 on Approved Technological Service – available at Retsinformation (in Danish)
Guidelines for Approved Technological Service (in Danish) 
Annexes to the GTS Guidelines (in Danish)