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n Denmark, the society has gone through a digital
transition. Most of all interaction with the government
takes place online, and the digitalization of the both
public and private sector is gradually growing.
Together with businesses, trade organisations and NGO’s,
the public sector works towards finding common solutions
for the digital transition and building a solid foundation for a
strong and digital Denmark. Technology and digitisation are
key drivers to develop the Danish welfare state and today
Denmark is regarded as one of the world’s most digitalised
countries.
Denmark as a Digital frontrunner
Denmark is a frontrunner when it comes to digitisation. In
the United Nations’ (UN) e-government survey for 2018,
Denmark topped as the world’s best in e-government
initiatives. Denmark ranked first in its provision of online
services, citizens’ participation in government decisions
and policymaking. According to UN, the key for Denmark’s
success is the “digital by default” approach. The “digital
by default” approach is understood as the government
expecting their citizens to interact with the government
and the municipality electronically. In fact, it is legally
mandatory with the option of a few exceptions. An example
of the Danish “digital by default” approach is the implement
of Digital Post. In 2014, the government made it legally
mandatory for every citizen, with some exceptions, to
receive their mail from the government through a digital
letterbox, which is government provided. The previous
year, it had been mandatory for businesses to use the
digital letterbox. Today over 90% of the citizens aged 15
and above receive their mail in their own personal digital
letterboxes.
To access their digital letterbox, the citizens of Denmark
use their NemID, which is the official digital signature for
public digital services. The NemID is an eID, which means
“easy ID”. Whether you use it to access your online banking
services, checking your insurance or retrieving your tax
return from the Danish tax authorities, NemID is a secure
login because of its two-factor components; a password,
which only the specific citizen know; and a code card with
one time codes, which is in the possession of the citizen.
Recently the government in cooperation with the Danish
banks developed an app for NemID, the NemID-code-
app, as an add-on to the existing paper-based code card.
With the app, the Danes swipe for authorisation instead of
using the codes from their code card. The NemID solution
is every Danish citizen’s personal key to all of the digital
Denmark. It allows the Danes to be able to pay their taxes,
report a bike theft, make an appointment with the public
health service in Denmark and move their address from one
place to another regardless of their municipality via their
computer or smartphone. The Danish NemID-solution is
very similar to the Indian Aadhaar. The comparability of the
two systems opens opportunities for Denmark and India to
learn from each other to unlock the full potential of these
powerful tools.
In the meantime, not only UN has acknowledged Denmark as
digital frontrunner. According to the European Union’s Digital
Economy and Society Index (DESI) 2018, Denmark is the
most digital country among the 28 EU member states. In the
index, EU summarises the relevant indicators on Europe’s
digital performance. With five indicators; 1) Connectivity, 2)
Human Capital/Digital skills, 3) Use of Internet Services by
citizens, 4) Integration of Digital Technology by businesses
and 5) Digital Public Services. The purpose of the index
is to track the evolution of EU member states in digital
competitiveness. The index acknowledges many of the
initiatives that the Danish government has launched in its
‘Digital Growth Strategy’, where 134 million EUR has been
allocated to digital initiatives running until 2025.
A Strategy for the digital growth
In January 2018, the Danish government presented
Denmark’s new ‘Digital Growth Strategy’ with 38 concrete
initiatives. The strategy aims to secure and enhance
Denmark’s position as an attractive digital hub by creating a
strong environment for growth within the digital potential of
the future and improving the conditions for businesses, so
they are able to utilise the full benefits of new technologies.
The purpose is to show that Denmark remains a digital
frontrunner.
Digital hub for stronger digital growth
Denmark, like the rest of the world, experiences how digital
development is progressing faster and faster bringing
with it new opportunities and challenges. In many ways,
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