9 March 2026
DTU professor Jan Madsen has been appointed chairperson of DIREC, with a clear mission: to unite Danish universities under a common front, strengthen research, and lay the foundation for Denmark’s digital sovereignty.
For years, Madsen has been at the heart of Danish IT research. He is also one of the architects behind DIREC, founded in 2020 with the vision of bringing Danish universities together around technological development.
Known as a proactive and visionary voice in digital innovation, Madsen has amassed numerous awards, patents, and leadership roles. Now, he assumes the leadership of DIREC—the very organization he helped create.
“After five years on the board, I can confidently say that DIREC has become what we envisioned: a national platform for all Danish universities. There’s no need for each of us to compete individually. We’ve built a forum where we collaborate and innovate together,” Madsen says, highlighting the role of Danish industry as well:
“We’ve created an ecosystem where companies have invested millions in projects funded by DIREC. Maintaining and expanding that ecosystem is crucial.”
When Jan Madsen speaks about the importance of understanding the technology behind the scenes, he speaks from experience. In addition to directing DTU’s Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, he serves as a digital advisor at ATV. He has developed self-healing computer chips in collaboration with NASA and founded the startup Biomicore. Now, he brings that combination of strategic vision and technical expertise to DIREC’s leadership.
With this appointment, Madsen steps fully onto the national stage to ensure Denmark not only adopts the technology of the future but actively shapes it.
“There’s so much hype around AI and tech giants that poor decisions are a real risk. DIREC’s role is to help society and decision-makers understand what technology can—and cannot—do. We need to shape the future, not just react to it,” he emphasizes.
Under outgoing chairperson Jens Christian Godskesen, DIREC launched more than 50 research projects and built a unique collaborative platform. Madsen now takes over the task of further developing this foundation. We thank Jens Christian for his five years of dedicated leadership.
DIREC is Denmark’s national research and innovation centre for advanced digital technology. Our purpose is to accelerate research in digital technology in Denmark and transform research into value-creating digital solutions and long-term digital transformation in collaboration with both the private and public sectors.