Jens Schmidt

Jens Schmidt holds dual roles as Center Manager of the Danish Institute for IT Program Management and Chief Consultant in Software Engineering at the IT University of Copenhagen (ITU). He is also affiliated with the Research Center for Public IT. His primary focus lies in government IT projects, risk mitigation, and analyzing project failures to inform best practices. Schmidt has led multiple research initiatives, including the ongoing Villum Kann Rasmussen Professorship (2022–2027), focusing on IT project management and leadership.

His research explores root causes of IT project failures, cost overruns, and strategies for postmortem analysis. Key areas include identifying systemic risks, eliminating rival explanations in failure analysis, and developing frameworks for risk mitigation. He has contributed to over 30 media engagements, emphasizing IT project risks in public sectors and advising on high-stakes IT implementations.

Notable projects include studies on legal barriers to digitalization (ATP-funded, 2019–2021) and the FCOIT Research Center (2018–2021). His work intersects academia and industry, with collaborations spanning Danish agencies and international institutions like the Zhaw School of Management and Law.