By Astrid Helene Mortensen, AAU Communication and Public Affairs

When Per Fenger takes the stage as keynote speaker at AAU Energy Research Day 2026, it will be with a perhaps surprising message:

“I hope no one else from the industry shows up at AAU Energy Research Day!”

Because even though he now heads a global company with several hundred employees, his main point is that Liftra’s success didn’t happen by chance. It grew out of a close collaboration with Aalborg University.

From AAU student to CEO

Per Fenger’s journey began at Aalborg University, where he graduated as an engineer in 2001. Two years later, he founded Liftra together with Jens Mortensen, who had previously run a one‑man consultancy. Back then, the company consisted of just two engineers with an idea and an ambition.

Today, Liftra is an international supplier of specialized solutions for installation, maintenance, and transport of wind turbines, headquartered in Aalborg with employees across seven countries.

Even though the company has grown significantly, its connection to AAU remains strong. Liftra has employed engineers from every single graduating class since 2003, and there are almost always between ten and twenty‑five students doing internships, student jobs, or project collaborations. The company has also been involved in several PhD projects that have contributed to both research and business.

“Without our collaboration with AAU, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” says Per Fenger. He adds with a smile that the collaboration has actually given Liftra an advantage he almost shouldn’t be talking about - because it’s part of the company’s “secret recipe.”

Companies created to solve problems

Liftra hasn’t only developed itself - the company has also been a breeding ground for new startups that grow out of concrete challenges in the energy sector.

Leap Solutions works with Power‑to‑X, Ownlytic was founded together with Petar Durdevic and Daniel Ortiz Arroyo from AAU Esbjerg, and AI Stability is a spin‑off under Leap. What they all have in common is that they are built on research, data, and technological development – and often on collaboration with AAU.

“We create new companies to solve problems. It’s really that simple,” says Per Fenger.

A different kind of startup

While many companies in the industry come from traditional craftsmanship and metalworking, Liftra comes from the opposite direction: engineering first.

“We came with an engineering background and only hired a blacksmith later. It’s the opposite of what you usually see,” he says.

That combination of academic knowledge and practical execution has been one of the company’s key strengths.

The keynote message

At Energy Research Day, Per Fenger will share his experiences with industry-university collaboration. And he makes no secret of the fact that many companies still aren’t taking advantage of the opportunities.

“The truth is that many in the industry are still asleep at the wheel and simply aren’t making use of the enormous potential of collaborating with a university,” he says.

“It’s time they wake up and make use of the knowledge right in front of them. Just like we have - and will continue to do!”

His message is clear: both universities and industry are not good enough at reaching out. But both sides have everything to gain by doing so.

From Molecules to Megapower

Under this year’s theme, Per Fenger will talk about Liftra’s development from startup to global player, about its collaboration with AAU as a strategic driver, and about the new companies emerging at the intersection of research and industry.

And perhaps he will - if he dares - reveal a bit more of his “secret recipe,” with AAU as the main ingredient.