Danish Society of Engineers

The Danish Society of Engineers, commonly known as IDA or Ingeniørforeningen i Danmark, is a Danish trade union, professional association and policy advocacy organisation serving engineers and other highly educated professionals working in technology, science, IT and related fields. Its headquarters are in Copenhagen, and its activities are primarily focused on Denmark. The organisation brings together employees, managers, self-employed professionals, students and internationally recruited specialists who meet its educational or professional eligibility requirements. IDA was established on 1 January 1995 through the merger of the Danish Engineers Association, founded in 1892, and the Engineers' Association, established in 1937. The predecessor organisations historically represented different categories of engineering graduates. The Danish Engineers Association was associated with graduates of the Polytechnic Institute, now the Technical University of Denmark, while the Engineers' Association represented constructor and bachelor-level engineering groups, including people with more technically oriented backgrounds. The two bodies had cooperated for years before completing their merger. Their member magazines were combined into Ingeniøren in 1975, but an initial merger proposal was rejected by members of the Danish Engineers Association in 1976. A further period of collaboration and organisational development eventually led to approval by both memberships and the creation of IDA in 1995. The organisation operates in three overlapping roles. As a trade union, it advises members on employment contracts, salaries, recruitment, dismissal, workplace disputes, collective representation, occupational health and safety, and career development. Its legal specialists can review employment agreements and support members in negotiations or disputes. Career advisers assist with job searches and professional planning, while learning activities and continuing-education services help members update their skills. IDA also trains workplace representatives and supports professional groups in discussions with employers. As a political interest group, IDA seeks to increase the influence of technical and scientific knowledge in Danish public policy, business decisions and debates about education, research, technology and the labour market. Its policy work is guided by the association's representative democracy and is implemented by a professional policy department. The organisation's stated objectives include bringing together engineers and other eligible professionals to protect the interests of the engineering profession and promoting the importance of technical and scientific education and research to society. IDA also functions as a professional and social network. It organises events through regional branches, specialist communities and volunteer-led networks covering areas such as IT, construction, environmental matters and management. The association hosts approximately 3,000 events annually across Denmark, including professional conferences, personal-development activities, cultural events and social gatherings. Around 73 technical networks provide members with opportunities to exchange expertise and build professional connections. Students can join and receive access to networking, career guidance, insurance-related benefits, job-search support and study resources. Membership extends beyond conventional engineering degrees. University programmes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics can qualify applicants, while professionals with other degrees may be eligible when working in technology, IT or related organisations such as consultancies, financial institutions and start-ups. Some applicants without a formal degree may also qualify if they work at a sufficiently advanced level in digitisation, technology or science. IDA organises employees as well as managers and self-employed members, whose different employment situations require tailored advice. International members are supported with information about Danish workplace culture, labour-market practices, trade-union structures, legal matters and careers, and the association provides English-language events and services. By 2026, IDA reported more than 180,000 members. It has also developed a wider group structure around member services. IDA Insurance provides insurance brokerage and products for members, while IDA Conference operates conference facilities at the Copenhagen headquarters for IDA activities and external users. IDA is a major shareholder in Teknologiens Mediehus, the media company associated with Ingeniøren, the technology news site ing.dk, Version2 and other specialist and recruitment media. The association also works with education, pension and unemployment-insurance organisations, including the Engineers' Further Education Fund, Akademikernes A-kasse, P+ and ISP. Internationally, it participates in engineering and professional networks including FEANI and the Association of Nordic Engineers.

The institutional roots of IDA extend to two Danish engineering associations with different membership traditions. The Danish Engineers Association, or DIF, was founded in 1892 for graduates of the Polytechnic Institute, which later became the Technical University of Denmark. Its constituency was associated with longer engineering education and the professional title of Master of Engineering, introduced in 1933 for graduates with at least five years of engineering study. The second predecessor was the Engineers' Association, known in Danish as Ingeniør-Sammenslutningen or I-S. It grew from three graduate associations representing constructor and bachelor-level engineering groups. These members generally had shorter formal education than the graduates represented by DIF and often had more technical or craft-oriented experience. Although the organisations differed in admission criteria and membership composition, they increasingly shared interests concerning professional recognition, education, employment and the role of engineering in Danish society. Cooperation gradually created the conditions for structural integration. In 1975, the two associations combined their membership magazines, creating Ingeniøren. In 1976, members voted on a merger proposal, but the Danish Engineers Association was not yet ready to unite. The process therefore continued through further collaboration rather than an immediate organisational combination. After approximately eighteen years of additional discussions and joint work, members of both organisations eventually approved a merger. The Danish Society of Engineers was formed on 1 January 1995. The merger created a broader professional body able to represent multiple categories of engineers and, over time, other highly educated professionals working in technology, science and IT. The organisation adopted the abbreviation IDA, derived from Ingeniørforeningen i Danmark. Its modern role is broader than traditional occupational representation: it combines collective and individual employment assistance with professional development, networking, political advocacy and member-oriented commercial services. IDA's governance is based on member democracy. Its Board of Representatives is the association's highest authority and consists of 65 elected members. Graduate members elect 61 representatives and student members elect four. Elections take place every three years. The Board elects an executive committee and a chairperson, also for three-year terms, with limits on repeated re-election. Regional branches, specialist groups and technical networks provide additional channels for member participation, many of them operated by volunteers. The organisation's trade-union work includes training workplace representatives, helping professional groups organise, supporting negotiations with employers and advising members on contracts, dismissals, salaries, careers and occupational health. IDA's policy work seeks to place education, research, technical expertise and evidence-based analysis at the centre of Danish political and economic decision-making. Through professional events and approximately 73 technical networks, it also supports knowledge exchange across fields such as IT, construction, environmental technology and management. IDA expanded its service ecosystem through associated and partly owned entities. IDA Insurance provides insurance brokerage for members, and IDA Conference operates meeting and conference facilities at the Copenhagen headquarters. The association is a major shareholder in Teknologiens Mediehus, whose publications include Ingeniøren, ing.dk and Version2, together with specialist media and the Jobfinder recruitment portal. IDA also cooperates with education, pension and unemployment-insurance bodies and participates in European and Nordic engineering organisations. The association has increasingly addressed an international and diverse professional population. English-speaking members recruited to Denmark or educated there can access guidance on Danish working culture, legal matters, careers and trade-union practice, as well as English-language activities. In 2011, IDA established a young-professionals network, which also represents Danish young engineers through European Young Engineers. By 2026, membership had grown to more than 180,000, reflecting IDA's development from a traditional engineering association into a broad professional organisation for Denmark's STEM and technology workforce.

• 2023

  Third consecutive top ranking

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  IDA was ranked Denmark's best trade union for a third consecutive year.

• 2022

  Trade-union ranking retained

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  IDA again received the highest ranking in the Loyalty Group survey and Laura Klitgaard became chairperson.

• 2021

  First best-trade-union ranking

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  IDA ranked first in the Loyalty Group's Danish trade-union industry index.

• 2011

  Young-professionals network established

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  IDA created IDA Young Professionals, known in Danish as Yngre Fagligt Forum, to support younger professionals and international representation.

• 1995

  IDA created through merger

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  The Danish Society of Engineers began operations on 1 January following the merger of the Danish Engineers Association and the Engineers' Association.

• 1976

  Initial merger vote did not produce union

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  Members considered a merger, but the Danish Engineers Association was not yet prepared to approve the combination.

• 1975

  Predecessor publications merged

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  The membership magazines of the two predecessor associations were combined into Ingeniøren.

• 1937

  Engineers' Association established

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  The Engineers' Association was formed from graduate organisations representing constructor and bachelor-level engineering groups.

• 1933

  Master of Engineering title introduced

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  A Master of Engineering title was introduced for graduates completing an engineering education of at least five years.

• 1892

  Danish Engineers Association founded

  [1]Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org

  The Danish Engineers Association was established for graduates of the Polytechnic Institute, the institution later known as the Technical University of Denmark.

A specialist Danish professional association and trade union combining employment representation, career and legal services, technical networking, continuing education and evidence-based policy advocacy for STEM and technology professionals.

• Professional membership · 1995

  IDA Membership

  IDA membership provides access to trade-union representation, legal and employment advice, career counselling, salary guidance, professional networks, events, continuing education and member benefits. Eligibility covers many university programmes in STEM as well as certain technology and IT professionals with other educational backgrounds or equivalent advanced experience.

• Trade-union service

  Legal and employment advice

  IDA advises members on employment contracts, salary matters, resignations, dismissals, workplace disputes and negotiations. Its legal function may review agreements for new employees and support members when employment conflicts escalate or require formal proceedings.

• Continuing education

  IDA Learning

  IDA Learning collects and develops educational opportunities for the technical, scientific, managerial and digital fields represented by the association. The service supports members seeking retraining, new qualifications or professional development aligned with changing labour-market needs.

• Insurance brokerage

  IDA Insurance

  IDA Insurance is an associated insurance intermediary serving IDA members. It forms part of the wider IDA Group and extends the organisation's member-benefit offering beyond traditional professional and trade-union services.

• Conference services

  IDA Conference

  IDA Conference operates conference and meeting facilities at the association's Copenhagen headquarters. The venue supports IDA's professional activities and is also available for external meetings, conferences, concerts, celebrations and private events.

• Professional networking

  Technical networks

  IDA's volunteer-led technical networks connect members around specialist interests including IT, construction, environmental issues and management. They organise professional conferences, knowledge-sharing activities and social gatherings, allowing members to maintain field-specific communities across Denmark.

1. 1Danish Society of Engineersen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Danish Society of Engineers official websiteida.dk