AU researcher among Denmark's most influential figures in IT
Two AU researchers are on the list of the 100 most powerful IT people in Denmark, published by the IT media Computerworld. Professor of Cybersecurity Jens Myrup Pedersen is the highest-ranked representative from AU and can be found at the very top of the list.
This is what they did
The editorial team at Computerworld compiled a longlist of 150 candidates across five broad categories. A panel of 10 experts from the IT industry then assessed the candidates based on five criteria:
1) Formal position, 2) Internal strength, 3) Results, 4) Public impact and 5) Credibility.
Computerworld subsequently published a list of the 100 candidates who achieved the highest overall scores.
Source: Computerworld (in Danish, ed.)
Professor of Cybersecurity Jens Myrup Pedersen is among the five most powerful IT people in Denmark according to the IT media Computerworld and their list of the 100 most powerful IT people (in Danish, ed.) in Denmark in 2026.
Jens Myrup Pedersen, a researcher in cybersecurity at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, moved to AU in May after 25 years at Aalborg University.
When Computerworld published the list last year, no representatives from AU featured on it. Whether his move to AU played a role is unclear, but Jens Myrup Pedersen has climbed from 17th place on the 2025 list to 5th place in 2026.
He is therefore the highest-ranked researcher on the list, with only a handful of prominent IT figures ranked above him, including André Rogaczewski, director of Netcompany; Morten Løkkegaard, member of the European Parliament for the Danish Liberal Party; Michael Holm, founder of Systematic; and Martin Thorborg, founder of Jubii and director of Visma Dinero.
The IT figures were assessed against five criteria, including credibility. When measured on this criterion alone, Jens Myrup Pedersen shares first place with Jan Damsgaard, professor at the School of Digitalisation at CBS, as Denmark's most credible IT voice, with a score of 4.3.
The list also features another AU researcher, namely Anja Bechmann, who is a professor of media studies at the School of Communication and Culture and director of the Centre for Digital Social Research, DATALAB. Her research focuses on the intersection of algorithms, AI, and human behaviour online. Anja Bechmann is new to the list and is ranked 40th.
This text is machine translated and post-edited by Mie Skov Jeppesen.