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Who will future-proof Denmark?
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Recommendations on strategic autonomy

Recommendations on strategic autonomy

Technology plays a key role in ensuring the security of Denmark and the EU. We must make a targeted investment in research and development in STEM.

Europe must join the global leaders

We live in a highly technological world – and fortunately so. Technology saves lives, connects people, and makes our everyday lives more efficient. Yet almost all the digital platforms, operating systems, cloud services and search engines we have become so dependent on are controlled by American tech giants. The microchips at the heart of your computer are also predominantly developed outside Europe. Without microchips, neither your phone nor your electric vehicle would function.

The same applies to AI – perhaps the most significant technological game changer of our time. Europe is not leading the way in this field either. So how do we ensure that artificial intelligence is developed in line with our values and priorities?

Across a wide range of critical technologies, Denmark and the EU are lagging behind. At a time when the world is changing as rapidly as it is today, that is a serious challenge. We need greater technological capability of our own if we are to preserve our strategic autonomy and help shape future technological developments. IDA therefore recommends a focused investment in education, research and innovation within technology and the natural sciences.

IDA recommends

Specifically, we propose:

  • Increasing public investment in research so that Denmark's public research budget rises to 1.5% of GDP (compared with approximately 1% of GDP today).
  • Earmarking funding within new defence agreement allocations for research and development in Danish and European defence technologies, without reducing other public research funding.
  • Removing admission caps on technical and science-based degree programmes where labour market demand is particularly high.
  • Establishing additional study places and scholarships for talented international students, including PhD positions.
  • Adopting a more ambitious EU research target and creating new, better-funded research programmes aimed at strengthening the EU's competitiveness and supporting the European Commission's objective of strategic autonomy. The goal should be for EU countries collectively to invest 4% of GDP in research and development across both the public and private sectors.
  • Implementing an ambitious EU STEM education strategy to address the widespread shortage of highly qualified professionals with technical and scientific expertise.