Denmark is a global leader within a number of areas relating to technology, innovation and research and therefore an attractive target for foreign intelligence services. In the global fight for new and transformative knowledge, foreign states acquire the latest technology and know-how through, among other things, research collaborations and investments.
Foreign states gaining unwanted access to innovation and research may have serious consequences not only for Denmark, but also for Danish research institutions and the individual researchers, and it makes new demands on the ability of the institutions to navigate in and handle security-political threats.
A prerequisite for protecting Danish research is to be aware of the espionage threat and the risk of unwanted knowledge transfer to foreign, non-like-minded states, the methods used by foreign intelligence services, and the options available to make research institutions and companies more robust.
By raising awareness of this threat and the options available for handling it, PET wishes to strengthen the joint efforts required to protect Danish innovation and research.
Greater knowledge security
Knowledge security is about protecting knowledge related to critical technologies, affairs of state and critical infrastructure from being transferred to foreign non-like-minded states. Such transfer of knowledge primarily takes place in connection with research collaborations, taking out a patent, theft and cybercrime.
Based on a close collaboration with Danish universities, this website introduces a number of tools and guidelines, the objective being to equip research facilities with the necessary competences to strengthen their own resilience.
The tools and guidelines on this website are to help you strengthen and evaluate the security set up at your organization. The goal is not compliance.
PET can help
In 2023, PET's Centre for Innovation and Knowledge Security was established with the objective of offering proactive advise to Danish research institutions on how to handle the threat from foreign non-like-minded states. The centre provides intelligence-based knowledge and assists the institutions with improving their ability to navigate the changing threat landscape.