Ministerial Visit to SDU Highlights Digital Sovereignty and Danish Cloud Infrastructure
On 27 October, Minister for Digital Affairs Caroline Stage Olsen visited the University of Southern Denmark (SDU). During her visit, she was introduced to UCloud.
The Department of Mathematics and Computer Science (IMADA) and the SDU eScience Center at the Faculty of Science had the pleasure of welcoming Minister Caroline Stage Olsen to SDU. The visit aimed to highlight how Danish research can contribute to strengthening Denmark’s digital independence and sovereignty.
During her visit, the minister was introduced to UCloud, an open-source cloud platform developed and operated at SDU over the past eight years.
“SDU has a strong focus on digital sovereignty and on developing cloud solutions that are created in Denmark – and that can be controlled by Denmark. This is something we increasingly discuss: how we can become more independent and how we can strengthen our control over digital infrastructure. That is part of what I am learning about today,” said Caroline Stage Olsen, Minister for Digital Affairs, during her visit.
UCloud serves as Denmark’s national platform for interactive high-performance computing (HPC) and is Europe’s most widely used research supercomputing platform. With more than 18,000 users across universities, public authorities, and private companies, it stands as a tangible example of how Danish-built solutions can promote digital independence.
“True digital sovereignty requires public infrastructure that can be inspected, controlled, and improved. UCloud makes sovereignty more than just a slogan – it makes it a living, open-source common good. Europe’s largest research cloud was built in Denmark. Investing in open infrastructures like UCloud is how we can safeguard our digital future,” said Professor Claudio Pica, Head of the SDU eScience Center.
A Responsibility Towards Society
SDU Rector Jens Ringsmose also participated in the meeting and contributed actively to the discussions on how universities can help future-proof Denmark’s digital infrastructure.
The visit prompted a broader dialogue about the responsibility of research institutions in an era where digitalisation permeates all layers of society – from healthcare and education to the energy sector and public services. At SDU, digital sovereignty is therefore not only a technological project, but also a societal commitment.
“We must be able to trust the digital infrastructure upon which our society is built. Digital sovereignty is about security, trust, and independence – but also about responsibility. At SDU, we contribute to that effort through research and development that strengthens Denmark’s technological capabilities and delivers solutions for the benefit of the entire society we serve,” said Jens Ringsmose.
Beyond developing secure cloud solutions such as UCloud, SDU researchers are also engaged in post-quantum cryptography and data infrastructures based on transparency, where all data can be traced. This approach positions the university as a key player in the effort to build a more robust and independent digital Denmark.
Building Bridges Between Research and Society
The visit concluded with a tour of SDU’s supercomputing facilities, where the minister was introduced to the advanced infrastructure that supports both national and international research projects.“It was a great pleasure to welcome the Minister for Digital Affairs to the Faculty of Science. Our research and study programmes play a central role in the digital transformation of society – from artificial intelligence and data science to sustainability and bioinformatics. The visit provided a valuable opportunity to discuss how we can strengthen the bridge between the natural sciences and the digital development of society,” said Marianne Holmer, Dean of the Faculty of Science.
