We must have the courage to embrace technology – and aim higher

What will it take for Denmark to continue turning technology into growth, welfare, and societal progress? This question was posed by Thomas Riisgaard Hansen, Director of the Digital Research Centre (DIREC), in his New Year’s address delivered just days into 2026, where he called for innovation and greater digital courage.

He challenged prevailing hesitation and argued that Denmark’s strength has long been its willingness to take risks. Despite being a small country, vision, foresight, and courage have driven major achievements — and the same mindset is needed today.

These themes are explored further in a new podcast conversation with Dansk IT, in which Thomas Riisgaard Hansen reflects on the opportunities, dilemmas, and responsibilities of digitalisation, addressing both its promise and its challenges.

The podcast is part of a Dansk IT series in which journalist Hans Ravnkjær Larsen speaks with researchers, pioneers, IT professionals, politicians, and citizens to offer fresh perspectives on what digitalisation and IT mean in practice.