It is a stated objective of the Danish government that Denmark is to become one of the 10 richest  countries in the world, and that Danish enterprises are to be among the most innovative in the world. Denmark faces substantial challenges when it comes to growth, productivity and innovation.

Internationally, there is an increasing awareness of the possibilities afforded by design policies and design when it comes to creating stronger innovation policies and more innovation. The Danish government introduced its design policy, "Design Denmark", in 2007, but this policy expired in 2010.

Recent years have seen a development in the use of design, as well as in design philosophy and design research. Design has come to mean more than shaping and aesthetics; it has increasingly become a strategic element in business innovation processes as well as in a number of societal development processes. A designer's ability to combine, for instance, designing with user understanding and overall solutions is increasingly becoming a competitive parameter when companies develop new products and services.

The Danish government expects design to become an even stronger driver of innovation in the future. The Danish government has, therefore, appointed a Design 2020 Vision Committee, which is to help bring the long-term challenges into focus in the field of design. The Design 2020 Vision Committee is to present a suggestion as to how the future use of design, design thinking, and design research can help resolve Denmark's growth, productivity and innovation challenges. This includes a description of the long-term challenges faced by the field of design.

http://www.ebst.dk/file/163743/mapping_international_design_policies_strategies.pdf