Europe’s Sputnik moment: Why Denmark must lead on knowledge

In a recent opinion piece published in the Danish financial paper Børsen, Kristian Cedervall Lauta, University of Copenhagen, and I described the Draghi report as Europe’s “Sputnik moment”. In this blog post, I want to build on that reflection, and explain why Denmark must seize the moment proactively.

When the Draghi report was published in 2024, it made headlines for a reason. It offered a sobering message: Europe is falling behind – not just in innovation, but in its ability to compete long-term. On top of that, the timing could not be more critical.

As Denmark now takes on the EU presidency, we have a rare opportunity to shape the agenda. And we must be clear-eyed about where our real strategic assets lie. We are a small country, deeply reliant on global trade. That will not change. But our potential to lead in knowledge, skills, and innovation is where we can grow – and where we must act now.

The political momentum is real. Across Europe, education and upskilling are moving higher on the agenda. In Denmark, the graduate reform (kandidatreformen) is already reshaping how we think about learning. This is our window of opportunity to make lifelong learning a shared, scalable priority.

From trade dependency to knowledge leadership

Denmark’s structural dependency on international trade makes us uniquely exposed to global shifts. But it also gives us a strategic imperative: we must stay ahead through human capital. Knowledge, not volume, is our competitive edge.

To stay relevant, we need to strengthen our ability to attract talent, absorb innovation, and translate research into impact. This is the essence of what Deloitte and the think tank POMUS describes in Much more than research – a national framework for linking competitiveness and resilience through education, research, and innovation.

“We must shift from a nation that consumes knowledge to one that cultivates it – through continuous, interdisciplinary, and applied learning.”

That shift will not happen on its own. It requires deliberate choices, long-term partnerships, and a system that sees learning not as a cost but as infrastructure.

Learning must match life stages

The divide between education and work is no longer sustainable. Too many still follow a linear path: many years of study, then decades without structured learning. That model is outdated.

Instead, we need ecosystems where universities and employers co-develop learning opportunities across life stages. Where skills are continuously updated, and where knowledge flows both ways – from academia to practice, and back again.

The Much more than research report puts it plainly: what matters is not just what we know, but how well we spread and apply that knowledge. This so-called ‘diffusion capacity’ is a national asset. But it depends on scale, inclusion, and intent.

Let’s be honest. Without system-level support – financial, institutional, cultural – lifelong learning will remain a privilege for the few. But with the right strategy, it can become a foundation for many.

Now is the time for Danish leadership

The EU presidency offers Denmark more than visibility. It offers us the chance to lead by example. We can push for a Union of Talent – a Europe that competes not on size, but on the ability to adapt, upskill, and collaborate across disciplines.

At Deloitte, we are ready to contribute. We see learning not just as a personal journey, but as a national mission. And we believe the most competitive countries of the future will be those that make learning continuous, inclusive, and deeply connected to real-world needs.

The Draghi report was a wake-up call. Much more than research is a compass. Now is the moment to act – boldly, and in union.