A nation of

Digital Frontrunners

Discover how 50+ years of innovation made Denmark the most digital country in the World.

Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI)

The DESI 2021 report looks at connectivity, integration of digital technology, digital public services and human capital. Denmark ranks high in all categories, it has some of the most tech-savvy individuals and companies in the EU. Denmark benefits from one of the highest levels of digital interaction between individuals and businesses with the government, this paired with a high adoption of digital tools makes it a great place to test new solutions.

Denmark: a digital frontrunner

How did Denmark become a digital frontrunner?

20+ years of innovation made Denmark the most digital country not only in Europe, but also amongst members of the United Nations.

Source: European Commission 2018

Welcome to Denmark - a small country with big digital ambitions

Life expectancy

81 years life expectancy

Area

42,933 km²

Population

5,8 million people

Entrepreneurship

10 unicorns

Education level

78% have completed further education

Education level

39% Has a Higher education

A human-centric approach to digitisation

For more than 20 years, Denmark has had clear national goals for digitising the public sector. These goals have paved the way to become a world leader in public digitisation, and to ensure that Denmark will stay ahead of the curve and maintain that position in the future.

But one key ingredient to the successful digitisation of Denmark is rarely mentioned in reports and strategies. As Danes, we have a high level of trust in each other and the state. We put humans before technology and build trustworthy solutions that fulfil public needs safeguarding inclusion, democracy, and providing access to public services for all humankind.

Connectivity

92% of internet users used digital public services within the last year.

Connectivity

Application for maternity benefits has a digital take-up rate of 100%

Education

70% of adults have basic digital skills, significantly above EU average of 56%.

Government

Even application for state pension has an uptake rate of 95% - digital is not only for the younger generation.

E-commerce

More than twice as many SMEs sell online in Denmark than the EU average.

Connectivity

9 out of 10 citizens use Digital Post to communicate with public authorities.

A short history of Denmark’s digital solutions

Time

1968

CPR

The government introduced a central database of every person residing in Denmark.

2001

Digital signature

Digital signature allows authorities and businesses to communicate digitally with citizens thereby moving away from physical letters. A secure way of authenticating identity online.

2004

Easy account

The mandatory easy account tied to your personal bank account gave authorities and employers and easy way to handle payments to citizens.

2007

Digital ID

Authorities are obliged to use a common ICT infrastructure. A cross-government identity verification known as “Easy ID” was created - which became NemID in 2010 and then mitID in 2021.

2007

Citizen.dk

Borger.dk portal was launched, allowing citizens to access more than 2,000 self-services. This was the gateway to the public sector.

2011

Digital Post

In the following years, digital post and digital self-services were made mandatory for both citizens and businesses alike.

2021

Digital Visitor Centre

An experience center was inaugurated for international delegations visiting Denmark with the aim of promoting Danish digital solutions.

E-Governance

A strong driver for Data Management and a Nation of Digital Frontrunners.

Back in 1968 Denmark introduced the CPR, a central database of every person residing in Denmark.

The CPR is basically your gateway into Denmark.

The CPR was the start of a digital gathering and measuring of data and information. This early adoption of digitisation had a major impact on shaping Denmark into a nation of digital frontrunners we know today.

With just your CPR you can

enroll your child on a waiting list for daycare

report that you are changing address

apply for child benefits

choose or change your doctor

complete your tax return

claim your holiday allowance

apply for maternity / paternity benefits

apply for a divorce

apply for spousal support

apply for a Danish tax card and a personal tax number

change and access your preliminary income assessment

order a new health insurance card

apply for home care

apply for a driver’s license

apply for a travel guarantee for the metro

get an overview of contributions to your pension

logon to your online banking

send and receive digital post from public authorities

apply for a loan

file your VAT return with the Tax Agency

report employee salaries

report holiday pay for employees

report a company merger / split

apply for a students' Grants and Loans Scheme

access your medical records

get a video consultation with your doctor

renew a medical prescription

get test results

book an appointment with a specialist

…and manage them all with a swipe

Swipe to unlock

Borger.dk
A common public-sector portal providing a single point of access to all digital public services.

Denmark is digital by default. From paying your taxes, report a bicycle theft, or make an appointment with the public health service in Denmark, it can all be done from your computer or smartphone by using the personal eID. Almost every agency or public official can be reached online, and each citizen has a specific digital signature to “sign” important documents.

Danish ideas, global solutions

Danish citizens and businesses have welcomed the digital transition of Danish society, recognising the many advantages. Today, large infrastructure solutions serve all citizens and companies in their daily lives and interactions with the public sector. Over time Denmark has succeeded in exchanging the data necessary for transforming manual, arduous and defective work procedures into flexible system integrations that save the citizens, authorities and companies time and raise data quality for everyone.

The high use of digital public services also reflects that Denmark’s population has a high level of digital literacy and are critical users of public IT services. Denmark launched several initiatives in 2020 and 2021 to make even more public services digital, supported by initiatives to ensure that the population get the necessary training to use these.

Denmark has understood that there is strength in having a digitally-skilled population.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

International GovTech frontrunner

Source: United Nations

* The EGDI is a composite measure of three important dimensions of e-government: provision of online services, telecommunication connectivity and human capacity.

Denmark's position as an international frontrunner in developing digital solutions that can solve pressing societal issues, serves as a strong platform for promoting Danish tech in a sizeable and growing global GovTech market.

The Danish government has one of the highest budgetary allocations for R&D as a percentage of GDP (OECD, MSTI). By financing R&D and business innovation, Denmark has successfully fuelled collaboration between public and private companies. In 2020, the public sector spent 2,13 billion EUR on IT services provided by private companies.

AI

AI hotspot based on trust

International tech companies recognise Denmark as an AI hotspot and the go-to place for leading research, talent and innovation along with good business ethics and trust.

The European Commission chose Denmark to lead the work of setting common European requirements for the use of AI in the future.

Four focus areas of the National Strategy for AI:

A responsible foundation for artificial intelligence
More and better data
Strong competences and new knowledge
Increased investment

Source: National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence

The D-seal: Denmark’s new labelling program for IT security and responsible use of data.

“Trust is necessary. If there is no trust, users are not going to share their data with you. If there is no data, you have no AI and without AI there is no business.”

— Lars Kai Hansen, Professor, The Technical University of Denmark.

Entrepreneurship

A unique hub for innovative solutions

The business also benefits from Denmark's digitisation. With the correct documentation, you can easily set up a business online and have it active within 24 hours. Building on the opportunities our digital society offers, Denmark is home to many frontrunner start-ups and entrepreneurs with a strong tradition for going global.

Let’s show you…

Case Stories

Case Story: Corti
AI Empowered Healthcare
Corti is a healthtech startup using AI to empower healthcare practitioners and improve quality of care. An AI that understands the conversation between a doctor and a patient, and helps the doctor make better decisions for the patients.
Case Story: Area9 Lyceum
Adaptive Learning In Four Dimensions
Area9 Lyceum is a personalised adaptive learning platform built on 25 years of research that supports individualized learning at scale.
Case Story: Proper
Transforming Property Management
Proper digitises property management, saving the landlord time and money while creating the best possible experience for tenants.
Case Story: SynergyXR
XR To The People
SynergyXR is a powerful, cloud platform that lets companies train employees, deliver maintenance and offer remote support across all XR devices without having to write a single line of code.
Case Story: Crediwire
Reimagining Financial Experiences
Crediwire collects, structures and activates financial data to create more knowledge, better decisions and ultimately stronger companies.
Case Story: Aim Robotics
Dispensing Made Simple
Aim Robotics provides plug&play dispensing solutions and software tools for cobots that are fast to install and easy to use.

A strong investment landscape

In 2021, Denmark hit a record high in investments almost quadrupling from the year before. In Denmark, you will find a fast-growing tech ecosystem which means readily available funding from both public and private investors. There are great opportunities for soft funding options, making it possible for the startup community to grow at a fast pace. On top of this, you will find excellent public funding schemes, active business angels, leading accelerators, and a viable network of Danish and international venture capital investors.

Ecosystems

Denmark is home to a thriving entrepreneurial environement of strong, far‑reaching ecosystems that leverage digital innovation and create favourable conditions for startups to flourish and grow. There are seven digital strongholds in Denmark: Fintech, Healthtech, Robotics, Createch, Proptech, Agrotech and Edtech. These ecosystems foster best practices to ensure fast scaling, driven by innovation and sustainable impact.