ECE professor ranks among Denmark’s top 5 most influential people in IT
Professor of Cyber Security Jens Myrup Pedersen ranks fifth on Computerworld’s list of the 100 most influential people in Danish IT, making him the highest-ranked representative from the university sector.
Once again in 2026, Computerworld has mapped out the people with the greatest power and influence in Danish IT. This year, Jens Myrup Pedersen, Professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Aarhus University, ranks fifth on the list.
For him, the ranking is first and foremost an opportunity to reflect on what it means to have influence in such an important field.
“The ranking sparks some interesting discussions about what power and influence really mean in IT and cybersecurity. To me, influence is first and foremost about bringing academic expertise into the debate, making complex issues understandable, and helping to inform the decisions we make as a society,” he says.
For Jens Myrup Pedersen, it is also about making cybersecurity relevant and accessible to a wider audience without creating unnecessary fear. This is precisely where researchers can play an important role by making their expertise available when complex technological issues turn into decisions that affect us all.
Cybersecurity requires knowledge and expertise
And there is no shortage of challenges to address. Cyberattacks affect both companies and public authorities, while new technologies raise questions about security, democracy and other fundamental issues. At the same time, there is a need for people with the right skills to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks.
Universities have an important role to play in this. Through research, education and collaboration with companies and public authorities, universities can both develop new solutions and educate the people who will help make Denmark better prepared for the digital realities of today and tomorrow.
At the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, researchers and students approach cybersecurity from multiple perspectives: from developing new technological solutions to researching how digital systems and critical infrastructure can be protected against future threats.
Read more: Cyber Security at ECE.
Read more about Computerworld’s ranking and the methodology behind it (in Danish): How Computerworld identified Denmark’s most powerful IT figures.