Open Science Is Reshaping the World—And Denmark’s Blueprint Is at the Center
Nicolaj Hannesbo Petersen and Michael Angelo providing prototype feedback to students and participants during an innovation sprint as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, Denmark, at their maker space / Fablab.
As Editor-in-Chief of the open access journal, the International Journal of Strategic Management and Innovation (IJSMI), an author, and a researcher at UCL University College Denmark, I can attest to Denmark’s global leadership in advancing how research and knowledge is shared. Open science and innovation have become transformative forces reshaping how research and technological development influence global industries. Dedicated to Green Open Access—a model that allows authors to self-archive their research in repositories—Denmark is emerging as a blueprint for knowledge-driven economies. Its deep-rooted commitment to openness, innovation, and societal well-being is reflected in national policies strategically designed to fuel research and development while advancing both economic competitiveness and the public good. Consistently ranked among the top performers in global innovation indices, Denmark is positioning itself as a global leader worth emulating.
Denmark excels in multiple key performance indicators, contributing to its recognition as a leader in research, innovation, and quality of life. Its standing in global indices, innovation strategy, and the critical role of open innovation are bridging the gap between research and industry.
Introducing the Global Open Science Powerhouse
Denmark consistently ranks among the top countries in global innovation and competitiveness indices, reinforcing its reputation as a hub for research and technological development. In 2024, the country ranked 10th in the Global Innovation Index, which evaluates innovation capabilities based on patent filings, trademark applications, high-tech exports, education, and scientific publications. Its strong performance reflects its commitment to cultivating an innovation-driven economy.
As the highest-ranking EU member state in the European Innovation Scoreboard, Denmark’s framework conditions are supported by a well-functioning research system and strong international collaboration. The country excels in knowledge transfer, digital infrastructure, and the commercialization of scientific discoveries.
Denmark strengthens its competitive edge by consistently achieving high rankings in the Global Competitiveness Index. Its efficient labor market, resilient economy, and world-class infrastructure create a fertile environment for startups, research initiatives, and industry-academia collaboration. In the 2024 IMD World Competitiveness Ranking, Denmark ranked 3rd globally, underscoring its strong performance in infrastructure, institutions, and policies that encourage sustainable value creation.
Denmark’s entrepreneurial ecosystem is also among the strongest in the world. In the 2019 Global Entrepreneurship Index, it ranked 4th, reflecting high levels of education, a supportive regulatory framework, and a robust entrepreneurship culture. The country also shows strong intrapreneurial activity, with an Entrepreneurial Employee Activity (EEA) rate of approximately 9% in 2017—significantly surpassing other leading economies.
Enjoying the Open Science Endorphins
Beyond economic and innovation rankings, Denmark is widely recognized for its exceptional quality of life. In 2024, it ranked second in the World Happiness Report, which evaluates social support, income, health, freedom, generosity, and low levels of corruption. This high level of societal trust and well-being fosters an environment conducive to innovation and collaboration.
Denmark’s commitment to research and development investments further enhances its innovation and competitiveness. The country allocates substantial resources to public sector research, driving groundbreaking advancements and increased international patent filings. As a leader in open science, Denmark aims for all scientific articles from Danish research institutions to be published as Open Access by 2025—an initiative supported by academic publishers like MDPI, IGI Global Scientific Publishing, and Frontiers. The government actively promotes the FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable), enhancing the accessibility and impact of research data. The DeiC Dataverse, a national digital repository, supports efficient research data management.
Setting the International Stage for Innovation
Denmark’s open science initiatives are not only nationally significant but globally instructive. The Danish model demonstrates how a small country can align research, innovation, and entrepreneurship to exert global influence.
What sets Denmark apart is the collaboration that characterizes its innovation ecosystem. Its industry and entrepreneurship actively inform research—and vice versa—creating a dynamic, reciprocal flow of knowledge that fuels societal value and commercial potential.
Denmark’s systemic approach to open science is not limited to publishing articles; it is a framework for how knowledge is shared, reused, and co-developed. It extends into incubation environments, innovation labs, and cross-sector partnerships where ideas are developed and brought to market.
At the same time, the country continues to push the boundaries between research, industry, and entrepreneurship. This is not a frictionless process—it requires navigating complex institutional logics, aligning incentives, and fostering trust across different sectors. But it is precisely this bridging that enables Denmark to stay competitive, agile, and relevant internationally.
The national ambition to make all publicly funded scientific articles Open Access by 2025, combined with the adoption of FAIR data principles and infrastructure such as DeiC Dataverse, demonstrates a long-term investment in transparency and knowledge mobilization. These principles are vital for addressing global challenges like climate change, public health, and digital transformation, where interdisciplinary and international collaboration is key.
Moreover, Denmark’s entrepreneurial universities and innovation hubs—like DTU Skylab, Aarhus University’s startup hub (the Kitchen), SDU’s Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation (TEI), CBS’s sustainability entrepreneurship programs, and UCL Boxen—serve as living examples of how open science drives entrepreneurial activity. These spaces do not just translate research into startups—they nurture a mindset where openness, experimentation, and societal impact go hand-in-hand.
Denmark’s Invitation to the World
Denmark is at the forefront of sustainable-driven innovation, digital transformation, and global partnerships. By deepening the integration of open science and entrepreneurship, universities and research institutions worldwide can follow Denmark’s lead to strengthen their roles in launching startups, developing sustainable business models, and driving technological progress.
Through its strong academic-industry ecosystem, the country remains at the vanguard of knowledge-based economies, demonstrating how entrepreneurial universities and open innovation fuel global competitiveness and societal impact.
While Denmark may not be the ultimate “best practice,” it offers inspiration for the “next practice”—an adaptive approach that challenges the intersection of research, industry, and entrepreneurship. Each country must find its own model, rooted in local contexts and capacities. Yet the principle remains: open science and innovation, grounded in national and international collaboration, are essential for building a more resilient, inclusive, and forward-looking global society.
Denmark is not just practicing open science—it is living it. Alongside my 2,000+ Danish colleagues who have authored research books and open access articles for IGI Global Scientific Publishing and beyond, I invite the world to imagine new ways of turning knowledge into action.
Discover open access articles about Denmark on the AGOSR database:
Let’s Talk – Interoperability between University CRIS/IR and Researchfish
Towards a National Agency for Resource Discovery
The Potential Role of Iceland in Northern Europe’s Protein Self-Sufficiencyhttps://agosr.com/title/52573
