On June 16, 2020, RetailTech Lab opened its doors to a national test center in the Danish mall “Lyngby Storcenter”. New technology for the retail industry will be tested in close interaction between entrepreneurs, retailers and consumers. One of the partners is the IT company Delfi Technologies.
Danish retail is lagging in digitalization. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs with a good idea for the industry, are missing a test platform supported by researchers as well as educational and knowledge institutions. Therefore, a national RetailTech Lab is now being established in Lyngby Storcenter in collaboration with strong local and national partners.
One of the partners is Delfi Technologies - a Danish company with offices across Europe that supplies digital technology to retail, healthcare, warehousing, industry, etc. In close collaboration with RetailTech Lab, Delfi Technologies shows how to connect the physical retail experience to the online experience using digital price tags.
On the opening day, a selected circle and the press were invited. Here, Brian Mikkelsen, Dansk Erhverv (The Danish Chamber of Commerce), and Tommy Ahlers, Folketinget (The Danish Parliament) took part of the opening at RetailTech Lab in Lyngby Storcenter together with Charlotte Mark, Microsoft.
In a press release, Mayor of Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality and Vice Chairman of Vidensbyen (the knowledge city), Sofia Osmani, said:
- Lyngby is a strong commercial and educational city. Therefore, it is obvious to place a national test center here so that researchers, shops, and merchants can gain experience with future technologies in retail. It can help create new opportunities where technology will drive and support the trade and experiences for customers. We look forward to the results.
The goal is to increase the use of new technology in the industry and at the same time help Danish entrepreneurs on the way. Entrepreneurs with a good idea for the industry from intelligent alarms to virtual trial rooms or new payment and delivery solutions now have a living laboratory to test in. The project is a two-year development project supported by Danmarks Erhvervsfremmebestyrelse (Danish business protection).
RetailTech Lab will work with issues such as:
What does the future of retail look like? What skills should the future labor have in the industry? How do we get better integration between the physical stores and the online experience? How do we create close collaboration between innovators and the retail industry? How do we create vibrant trading cities?
The hope is that the Danish retailer will use RetailTech Lab and make sure to make the most of it. That the Danish entrepreneurs want to see the lab as a unique opportunity to test their solutions with the retail trade and not least to get customer feedback.
- RetailTech Lab must be a national sandbox and a showcase where we can test solutions in close collaboration with researchers, students, entrepreneurs - and citizens. We are looking forward to rolling out the lab into the city and inviting interested people from all over the country on board, says Marianna Lubanski, director of Lyngby-Taarbæk Vidensby.
RetailTech Lab is established by the partners behind Vidensby in Lyngby, a not-for-profit association with over 80 members located in and around DTU. The precise constellation as an objective, broad-based membership organization consisting of companies, educational institutions, the municipality, and other organizations means that everyone can join the lab. Data and analytics from the lab will benefit all users and participants. In the whole country.
Selected photos from photographer, Peter Sørensen.
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