DHI is part of the new Resilience Center Denmark. The centre seeks to strengthen the development of knowledge and solutions that will help companies and organisations meet new demands for increased resilience to threats to critical infrastructure and society as a whole. The centre brings together the efforts of the seven Danish Research & Technology Organisations to promote growth and export of resilience technologies – ultimately making Denmark more robust and resilient.

Flooding, cyberattacks, fires, supply chain disruptions, terrorism, power outages, hybrid warfare and pandemics. The list of threats to Danish companies is long, and the likelihood of incidents affecting business operations is increasing.

In response, the seven Danish Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs) have joined forces to create Resilience Center Denmark. The centre aims to drive the development of innovative solutions that enable suppliers to help companies become more robust and less vulnerable to the growing threat landscape.

Creating business opportunities and helping companies

Resilience Center Denmark will strengthen Denmark's technological capacity in societal security and emergency preparedness and develop new technologies to enhance public safety. The centre will ensure access to the latest and most advanced technologies for strengthened societal security by focusing on the following key tasks:

• Research and development: The centre conducts research and development across various technological areas, including flood simulation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and drones.
• Technology transfer: The centre demonstrates and transfers new technologies to businesses and critical societal functions for practical application.
• Collaboration: The centre collaborates with Danish and international research institutions, private companies, industry organisations and authorities to advance the development of new technologies.

Initially, the focus is on supporting suppliers developing resilience technologies and solutions for businesses, including creating standards and certification schemes that foster an effective and transparent market. This will help companies comply with NIS2 and CER legislation, which come into effect in 2025. The NIS2 directive primarily addresses cyber and information security, whereas the focus of the CER directive is on protection of both physical and digital critical infrastructure considering threats such as natural disasters, sabotage and supply chain disruptions. 

‘We focus on bringing research and technology closer to businesses so they can leverage the opportunities created by the new legal requirements. This is a unique chance for Danish companies to strengthen their competitiveness,’ says Jesper Florin, Head of Resilience Center Denmark.

A national contact point for resilience and robustness

All seven Danish RTOs contribute their unique expertise to Resilience Center Denmark, forming a powerful resource for creating a more robust and resilient Denmark. This strong position establishes the centre as a national contact point for enhanced resilience, accessible to both businesses and public authorities.

‘DHI has decades of experience in supporting preparedness planning, trainings and simulations focused on infrastructure related to water environments,’ explains Thor Danielsen, head of DHI’s Danish business unit Water in Cities.

‘As an example, our digital solutions enable water utilities to respond swiftly and accurately to a crisis. Our aim is to gather Danish stakeholders in water and wastewater management in a hub to facilitate a space where the sector can collaborate on developing new solutions, knowledge, guidelines and ultimately, resiliency for Denmark.’

Resilience Center Denmark and the seven Danish RTOs

Resilience Center Denmark is a national collaboration between the Alexandra Institute, Bioneer, DBI, DFM, DHI, FORCE Technology and the Danish Technological Institute. The centre is supported by funding from the Ministry of Education and Research's performance contract funds, with an annual grant of DKK 7.8 million from 2025 to 2028. This funding enables the centre to promote research and development that strengthens Danish companies' position in the international market for resilience technologies.

‘Resilience Center Denmark aims to drive a strong market for resilience technologies that not only makes Denmark more robust but also provides Danish companies with a global competitive advantage,’ says Carsten Damgaard, Research Director at DBI.