DTU to the Minister of Defence: A robust defence requires investments in high-tech research
A long-term development of Denmark's defence capacity must be achieved through technological research, innovation and scientific advice. The Danish Armed Forces, investors and companies should take advantage of the fact that Europe's leading technical university, DTU, is right on their doorstep.
DTU is developing technologies that can detect unauthorised vessels in Danish waters. Illustration: DTU Media Lab
Wednesday 02 September 2026
Anders Overgaard Bjarklev
Christine Nellemann
Opinion piece by Anders Bjarklev, president of DTU, and Christine Nellemann, provost of DTU. This is the second in a series of opinion pieces addressed to selected ministers in the new Danish government, in which DTU focuses on current technological dilemmas, future research potential and possible solutions. It was published in Science Report on September 1, 2026.
A three-digit million sum! According to Børsen, this was the price for the encryption company Dencrypt, which was acquired by Denmark’s largest defence company Terma in August. Dencrypt was established in 2013 as a spinout from the research environment at DTU and is based on the invention of dynamic encryption keys, which are used to encrypt conversations, video calls and messages on smartphones, tablets and computers.
Dencrypt is a fantastic example of how investment in technical research can ensure the development of Danish defence technologies, and where Denmark itself benefits from the business part and the jobs.
Dencrypt also shows that defence in 2026 is about high technology such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cybersecurity, space-based systems, advanced sensors and much more.
High-tech requires elite environments
This is technology that will only become tomorrow's defence technology if you utilize highly educated experts who spend their daily time in solid elite technological research environments. These must be environments where you have cultivated the ability to innovate, because the development of high-tech solutions almost never happens because you stumble sideways into a laboratory with a random experiment.
It is crucial that the experts have access to an expanded infrastructure of high-tech laboratories. This may require, among other things, advanced clean rooms for the development of quantum technology, where the air is so clean that there are only 352 particles per cubic meter of air compared to the normal 35.2 million particles per cubic meter of air. Or it requires a huge test facility, where the walls, floor and ceiling are covered with materials that slow down all external radio waves, so that advanced measurements of antennas can be made.
With DTU, Denmark has an advantage in technical science. Here you will find both the experts, the innovative elite research environment and the laboratories, and it can all be used even more specifically for the development of and advice on defence technology.
The Danish Armed Forces can rely on our knowledge
We are on the move. This summer, DTU, together with Danish Defence Intelligence Service and Danish Industry Foundation, presented a new innovation collaboration, which will accelerate the testing and development of technologies that can protect the country.
But DTU has the capacity for many more collaborations with The Danish Armed Forces and defence technology companies.
New projects on defence technology will build on the knowledge and expertise developed in our research environments. It is also thanks to these environments that DTU can support Danish Armed Forces through scientific advice. And it is thanks to our experience with more than a thousand industry collaborations per year (in 2025 there were 1,995 industry collaborations) that DTU is experienced in working in a confidential space.
Therefore, let our knowledge and experience benefit Denmark even more, so that we can contribute with technology that protects the Danish territory and prevents attacks and espionage. Prioritize investments in high-tech research. Use us.
