Innovation and the ability to be innovative is a precondition for teaching and education to be on the leading edge of developments at all times. Trade and industry promotion, development, and applied research therefore pervade all professional activities at AU Herning. But the organisational centre of rotation for AU Herning's competence centrework is primarily 6 competence centres and a PhD project group. The centres are organised in physical units to bring them into focus at AU Herning and to direct attention to them in relation to the business community, education and research co-operators and external grant authorities.

Mentor company programme

AU Herning has a close cooperation with the business community, and the mentor company programme is one of the activities that supports the cooperation.

AU Herning was the first educational institution in Denmark to offer study programmes in which the students are associated with a mentor company during their studies. The mentor solution is very unique and is beneficial to both students and mentor companies. It allows students to try out theories, models, concepts, etc. compared to real practical problems in the mentor company. In this way, they are provided with plenty of opportunities to confront theory with practice and, thus, being prepared to meet the challenges and expectations of the business community when graduating.