.png){kind=logo}
Dec 2025
Denmark’s energy transition exposed a quiet but critical challenge: the hardest part was not fixing problems, but uncovering the data behind them. Drawing on hands-on experience from the energy sector, Lars Bonderup Bjørn explains why readiness in data, and not technology, is key to keeping the green transition on track.
One of the biggest lessons from Denmark’s energy transition did not come from a new technology, a bold strategy, or a perfectly planned roadmap. It came from a realisation that surprised even those closest to the system: most of the effort was not spent solving problems, but finding the data needed to understand them.
For Lars Bonderup Bjørn, the realisation came from inside the engine room of Denmark’s energy system. As CEO of EWII, one of Denmark’s largest energy and utility companies, he has spent years working at the intersection of grid operations, digitalisation, and the green transition. “It was a huge eye-opener for us. We realised that a large part of our work wasn’t about fixing concrete problems at all. It was about locating the data in the first place,” Bjørn says.
That insight reshaped how Danish energy actors began thinking about digitalisation. Because once you accept that future problems cannot always be predicted, the question changes. It is no longer a question of what problem we should solve next. But instead, how do we ensure we are prepared when the next issue arises?
A common challenge for public authorities is justification. When funding digital infrastructure, the question inevitably arises: What exactly will this data be used for? Bjørn understands the logic, but also its limitations.
“The question is reasonable. But the truth is, we often don’t know what the next problem will be. And that’s precisely why we need the data to be ready in advance,” he says.
The energy transition illustrates this clearly. As electric vehicle adoption accelerated, the pressure on local grids increased correspondingly. Had Denmark waited to collect data until the challenge was fully understood, it would have been too late.
“People kept buying electric cars. If we had spent two years building data and two more building a solution, only to find it didn’t work, we would never have caught up,” Bjørn explains.
Instead, access to data allowed rapid experimentation. Solutions could be tested early, adjusted continuously, and improved in real time. Crucially, this also made it acceptable to fail, because failure occurred quickly rather than years later.
“Having the data lets us test things quickly. We can see whether something works, whether it doesn’t, and whether new, unintended effects appear. And they almost always do,” he says.
What surprised Bjørn most was not that data solved a specific technical issue, but that it unlocked innovation far beyond the initial use case.
“It wasn’t just us who solved a problem. It was small, innovative startups, smart people who suddenly had access to a data pool and asked: how can we fix this?” he says.
Once the data was available, entrepreneurs began building new products and services on top of it, often things no one had initially planned for. This, Bjørn argues, is where the actual value lies.
“Data creates the foundation for entrepreneurship. And that’s incredibly hard to quantify in advance. It depends on skills, education, and timing. But without data, none of it happens,” he says.
He draws a parallel to Denmark’s pharmaceutical sector, where access to shared research data eventually fuelled a global export success. The energy sector, he believes, is at a similar inflexion point.
Energy grids are natural monopolies, but that does not remove the pressure to perform.
“Yes, we are a monopoly grid company. But we are still benchmarked against others. If we want to remain Denmark’s cheapest, we must keep finding smarter solutions,” Bjørn says.
Data makes that possible. Instead of over-investing in physical infrastructure, grid operators can increase capacity through existing assets safely and intelligently.
“If we can identify the limits of the grid and use it more efficiently, that’s a huge gain for society. It means lower costs for consumers and fewer unnecessary investments,” he explains.
This is where digital solutions quietly outperform concrete and steel.
Bjørn’s conclusion is simple, but powerful: data must come before solutions.
“If we want to solve future problems, we have to accept that we don’t always know what they are yet,” he says. “But we can make sure we’re ready.”
In a green transition characterised by uncertainty, electrification, and rapid change, preparedness may be the most valuable asset. Denmark’s experience shows that when data is accessible, standardised, and trusted, innovation follows, often faster and in directions no one initially expected.
The lesson for Europe is clear: the future energy system will not only be built with turbines, cables, and pipes, but with data that is ready before the problem arrives.
.png){kind=logo}
