With lower and more flexible distribution temperatures, fourth generation district heating systems can utilize renewable energy sources, while meeting the requirements of low-energy buildings and energy conservation measures in the existing building stock. 4DH is an international strategic research centre located at Aalborg University, which develops 4th generation district heating technologies and systems (4GDH). This technology is fundamental to the implementation of the Danish objective of being fossil fuel-free by 2050 and the European 2020 goals. The research centre is working between 2012 and 2017, with The Danish Council for Strategic Research as main financier and the participating 31 Danish and international companies and universities as co-financiers. Thirteen PhD student projects constitute a vital part of the research centre. In 4GDH systems, synergies are created between three areas of district heating and cooling, which also sum up the work of the 4DH Centre: Grids and components; Production and system integration, and Planning and implementation. This paper presents an overview of the progress and results achieved after more than two years of work. This includes the basic definition paper, the two Heat Roadmap Europe pre-studies, annual conferences, additional demonstration projects, initiated European project proposals, an international PhD course based on the new international textbook, PhD student seminars, all PhD student subjects, and a list of major papers and articles written so far within the research centre.