Trouble with the joint IT organisation DeiC

There is trouble within the universities' joint IT organisation, Danish e-infrastructure Cooperation – better known as DeiC. This is evident from a newly published evaluation report (In Danish, ed.).

The report shows that DeiC has failed to make adequate use of expensive supercomputers and that millions of DKK in public funds were spent on projects that, in practice, never came to fruition. The report also identifies a lack of competencies in the organisation in fundamental areas such as law, management, governance, and secretarial support.

DeiC itself has only addressed the problems in a very brief statement published on its website.

The problems are not apparent from the statement, which briefly announces that it has been "agreed upon with Gitte Julin Kudsk that she will resign from her position as director of DeiC."

Another, even shorter announcement states that Morten Bech has been appointed acting director until a new director is found. The position of director for a two-year term has been posted.

The rectors would rather look ahead

It was the rectors of the Danish universities who decided in August 2025 to have Deloitte evaluate DeiC.

The chair of Universities Denmark, Brian Bech Nielsen, who is also the rector of Aarhus University, is as concise as the press releases from DeiC when Omnibus attempts to inquire about the problems, the change in management, and the rectors' own responsibility.

Brian Bech Nielsen does not want to be interviewed, but writes to Omnibus:

“The evaluation clearly shows that DeiC has not been functioning optimally. All parties involved bear responsibility for this, including Universities Denmark, which is responsible for appointing the chair of the board and the host university. The evaluation suggests a need for a noticeably more robust organisation with clearer management, clearer division of responsibilities, and stronger organisational anchoring. That is what we are now working towards.”

He has also sent the same answer to the media outlet Ingeniøren. Ingeniøren has long written about the problems in DeiC, and also wanted to speak to Brian Bech Nielsen when the report from Deloitte was published.

At Ingeniøren, the story goes: Universities fire director after allegations of wasted millions and lack of results (In Danish, ed.).

Instead of answering questions, the rectors want to look ahead, as announced in a short statement from Universities Denmark.

This states that: 

“Universities Denmark has decided that DeiC should be relaunched and established as an independent legal entity, focusing on providing services to universities on market-like and competitive terms. This requires changing the regulatory framework for DeiC and therefore requires support from the Ministry of Science, Higher Education and Digital Affairs.”

Minister to read conclusions

Omnibus would have liked to ask Rector Brian Bech Nielsen what the challenges in DeiC have meant for Aarhus University and what responsibility he bears in the matter as chair of Universities Denmark, but he was unavailable for comment.

Omnibus has asked Minister of Science, Higher Education and Digital Affairs Christina Egelund (M) to comment on the DeiC case and her views on the rectors’ desire to alter the framework under which DeiC operates.

“I note that an evaluation report has been produced. I need to familiarize myself with the evaluation's conclusions before I take a position on the matter," says Christina Egelund in a written response to Omnibus.

This text is machine translated and post-edited by Mie Skov Jeppesen.