Denmark

Internet governance in Denmark focuses on digitalization, cybersecurity, and e-government initiatives to ensure a secure and efficient digital landscape. Denmark emphasizes collaborative efforts domestically and internationally to defend against cyber threats and espionage, protect critical ICT infrastructure, and enhance digital skills among citizens and businesses. The country promotes responsible, democratic, and safe technology development through initiatives like the Tech for Democracy, and Tech Diplomacy.

Denmark was the first country to appoint an ambassador for tech diplomacy back in 2017. The first tech ambassador set up an office in Silicon Valley in 2017, to be close to the big players in the tech sector, eager to start a more focused and intensive dialogue with companies like Google and Facebook.

Denmark’s stakeholders are active participants in various internet governance forums and initiatives at the regional and global levels. Danish stakeholders also participate in the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EuroDIG) events, which bring together stakeholders from the region to discuss digital policy-related issues and challenges. At the global level, Denmark is a member of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF).

Denmark also has a national internet governance initiative called Danish IGF, which was established as a bottom-up, multistakeholder platform for discussing internet-related public policy issues within the country.

Denmark has implemented several digital strategies aimed at harnessing the power of technology to drive economic growth, enhance public services, promote innovation, and ensure digital inclusion.

• National Strategy for Digitalisation (2022-2026) Launched in May 2022, this strategy is based on the recommendations from the Danish Government Digitisation Partnership, aiming to integrate digital technologies into Danish society effectively. It emphasizes broad collaboration across public, private, and civil society sectors and is anchored around nine visions, including strengthened cyber and information security, coherent services for individuals and businesses, and acceleration of the green transition through digital solutions​.
• Digital Growth Strategy 2025 is an initiative launched by the Danish government in collaboration with various stakeholders. The strategy aims to foster the digital transformation processes on a national level and cultivate a highly skilled talent pool of professionals. It consists of 6 pillars and 38 concrete initiatives designed to enhance Denmark’s position as a leading country in digital transformation and digital skills. 

Denmark has taken several steps to enhance its cybersecurity capabilities and resilience in recent years. Some of these steps are:

• The National Cyber Crime Centre (NC3) was established under the Danish National Police in 2014. NC3 increases and strengthens the work of the district police on investigative, preventive and research areas related to cybercrime in terms of enhanced qualifications and greater capacity, as well as considerable investments in technology.
• Cyber Centre at the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET), has a special Cyber Centre that specifically addresses intelligence and investigation tasks relating to cyber threats affecting national security.
• Centre for Cyber ​​Security (CFCS), was established in 2012 as part of the Defence Intelligence Service. CFCS is the national IT security authority, Network Security Service and National Centre of Excellence within cybersecurity.
• Denmark has two national response teams (CSIRTs): The Danish Computer Emergency Response Team for Research and Educational Institutions DKCERT, which was established in 2009; and The Danish Government Computer Emergency Response Team: Danish GovCERT. Since July 2016, a new notification system has been in place for companies and authorities reporting cyber incidents.
• The National Strategy for Cyber and Information Security 2022-2024 was adopted in 2022 and focuses on ensuring secure ICT operations in government as well as empowering citizens and businesses to navigate the digital realm securely.
• Denmark has ratified CoE Convention on Cybercrime (Budapest Convention).

In 2019, Denmark launched its National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence, aimed at maximizing AI’s potential while adhering to ethical standards and frameworks. The strategy’s goal is to establish Denmark as a forefront runner in the ethical utilisation of AI, fostering innovation and mitigating the risks linked with AI technology. It emphasises the significance of research, development, and educational efforts in AI to strengthen the nation’s economy and enhance public services.

The strategy highlights the critical need for education and training in AI, calling upon the Danish government to establish a vocational adult education and training advisory group. This group’s mission is to assess the labour market’s competency requirements in response to technological and digital advancements, including AI. It will explore the necessity for new initiatives, such as launching new educational programs, conducting analyses, and initiating development projects to meet these evolving needs.

Denmark and its stakeholders are also actively involved in international collaboration on AI research. For example, researchers from Aalborg University are collaborating with researchers from the US and Australia to develop algorithms that can manage systems associated with great uncertainty, with funding from the Independent Research Fund Denmark.

Notable AI companies in Denmark include Tradeshift, a business commerce platform that uses AI for payments and procurement tasks, and Creative Force, an end-to-end creative operations workflow platform that leverages AI to improve communication and collaboration in e-commerce content production. The Danish AI startup landscape has seen significant growth, with two-thirds of the identified AI startups being founded in the past four years. Many of these startups are centred in Copenhagen, where universities with significant AI activities and investors are concentrated.

The AI market size is expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2024-2030) of 16.80%, resulting in a market volume of USD 7.59 bn by 2030.