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Danish company: The reservation costs us EU orders | Defense reservation | DR Bruhn NewTech says that they have been refused cooperation on a defense project in the EU with the Danish defense reservation as justification. Af - There are attacks from several different places, says a Czech soldier and points to his computer screen. here. She is sitting in a large gymnasium at Skive Barracks, and the nuclear attacks she is talking about are a fictitious part of a large international exercise. Erik Ellinghaus looks at the screen and nods. He is the one who developed the software used by the soldier and the approximately 300 other participants. His company, Bruhn NewTech, is warning about dangerous particles in the air so that people can get away before it is too late. of commands given in English, French, German. 16 countries participate in the exercise, and the majority use the Danish software. Erik Ellinghaus is pleased: - It is so often that we are dependent on something foreign, but in this case the rest of the world has chosen to base their defense on something Danish, he says. On 1 June, voters must take a position on the Danish defense reservation. The defense reservation means that Denmark can not participate in parts of the EU's co-operation on security and defense. Danish ministers are also not involved in making decisions about EU military operations. We do not participate in EU military operations, do not finance them or make soldiers or weapons available. The reservation also means that we do not have the right to vote in the Council of Ministers when defending defense policy. However, we can still participate in more general talk about defense policy in the EU. Bruhn NewTech provides software to 80 percent of NATO's. But when it comes to selling the program to's defense cooperation, they have run into problems. - Specifically, it has happened that they should have made a project within our area. There was one particular company we wanted to work with on the project because we figured that company would win. And they said that it did not make sense to have a Danish company in that consortium. But the other company thought that it had a better chance of winning the project if it only worked with companies from countries that are part of 's defense cooperation, he explains. This meant that Erik Ellinghaus had to see a competitor run with the order, even though he himself thought he stood with a better product. - It is not in our interest. But it is also not in Denmark's interest, he says. The Danish market for defense and security products is, and the vast majority is exported to other countries. According to the business organization Dansk Industri, this means that member companies in that category are extra committed to cooperating internationally. . This applies to both and other parts of the world. Therefore, it annoys DI's director of Defense and Security, Joachim Finkielman, to hear about Bruhn NewTech's experiences. - It is super unfortunate, because Danish companies have world-class solutions that can contribute significantly to creating European security, he says. YOU recommend abolishing the Danish defense reservation. "Primarily because of the situation we are in now that there is war within European borders," says Joachim Finkielman. there is. And it is clear that if we on the Danish side can contribute to creating further European security, then it is super relevant for us. The defense reservation applies to the Danish state. This means that Denmark, for example, is not involved when the countries have to come up with. But private companies are free to bid on projects in the field of defense cooperation. This is far from an impossible mission. A large number of Danish defense companies cooperate with. And in 2019 and 2020, Danish companies have received DKK 50 million for defense projects. The Ministry of Defense has stated this. But Erik Ellinghaus still does not believe that he competes on equal terms with the other countries in. - Unfortunately, that is not enough. For in reality, those who choose the winning project are the countries. And they do not want to choose a consortium with a country that is not part of the club, he says. In reality, those who choose the winds project are the countries. And they do not want to choose a consortium with a country that is not a member of the club. Erik Ellinghaus, Director of Bruhn NewTech According to Joachim Finkielman, more can also Danish companies. - The Danish Minister of Defense can, if he sits at the table, help promote some of the areas where Denmark has positions of strength. of the defense and cyber area, he explains. The Danish Minister of Defense can, if he sits at the table, help promote some of the areas where Denmark has positions of strength. Joachim Finkielman - Director of DI Defense and Security- And it is clear, that if you help to determine the direction and prioritization, then it can have a direct impact on companies as well. At Bruhn NewTech, Erik Ellinghaus hopes that the reservation will be abolished. will mean that the risk that we will be prevented from participating will be less. So it will give us a greater chance to get our system spread to other countries.- Sierra, uniform, romeo, foxtrot.A new attack has hit the gym in Skive. Three Romanians in blue-green camouflage orient themselves on the flashing screens and send radio messages. If the accident strikes, as has been feared in Ukraine, for example, and a cloud of poison or radioactive dust spreads with the wind, European countries need to be able to communicate quickly. Erik Ellinghaus is proud to be able to contribute with the technology that can support just that. It annoys him to feel that the Danish reservation stands in the way of even more countries being able to benefit from his product. - As a company, you sometimes win and lose sometimes. I totally agree with that. But like Denmark, I think we must do everything we can to get it out into the world, he says. Here you can see more about the Danish defense reservation: