Communication award to Aarhus professor
On 9 September, Professor Klaus G. Grunert from Aarhus University, Business and Social Sciences, is being awarded the 2011 Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation’s Communication Award for his long-standing work on communicating research results within the marketing of food products to the food industry.
Professor and Centre Director Klaus G. Grunert from MAPP - Centre for Research on Customer Relations in the Food Sector at the Department of Marketing and Organisation, is the recipient of this year’s Aarhus University Anniversary Foundation’s Communication Award.
MAPP conducts research into the development and marketing of new foods, and since Klaus G. Grunert established the centre back in 1991, his special contribution and focus on communicating the research results of the centre and involving the industry has had a major impact on the Danish food sector.
Among other things, he is the person behind MAPP’s highly recognised annual conference for practitioners, which has served as a melting pot for the most recent research results and the reservations and issues occupying the practitioners.
- 20 years is a long time, and the Danish food sector has undergone major changes since 1991. We have been a small player who has tried to push the sector in the right direction, and I am sure that some people will agree that our annual conference has been instrumental to this end, says Klaus G. Grunert
He is also known for his readiness to give presentations and take part in seminars with both the industry and authorities.
- I have always felt it was much more fun doing something which is not only of relevance to the research community, but which is also relevant and useful out in the real world, says Klaus G. Grunert.
Putting international scepticism aside
In addition, Klaus G. Grunert has also been able to see the interdisciplinary potential of the field. By giving priority to collaboration with colleagues from the natural sciences and technological disciplines, he has been a strong ambassador for social science research.
- Respect is useful in the research community. And we did not have much respect to fall back on in the early 90s, he says.
The technological and natural science disciplines were in particular somewhat sceptical. They feared that getting involved with social scientists would be a waste of time and research resources. Their scepticism was, however, overcome by a firm belief in success and perseverance.
- We have carried out some very exciting projects together, and we have, among other things, been able to supplement each other when it comes to getting people to actually use the technology and ensuring acceptance by end-users, says Klaus G. Grunert.
Klaus Grunert’s previous awards include the Danish Business Academy’s Business Research Award (Dansk Erhvervs Akademis Erhvervsforskerpris).