Denmark Quietly Ends Trial to Replace Microsoft Office with Open-Source Software

In June 2025, Denmark’s Ministry of Digitalisation initiated a pilot project aimed at reducing dependence on Microsoft Office by testing an open-source alternative called Collabora, which is based on LibreOffice. The trial involved 38 ministry employees who replaced Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint with Collabora within the ministry’s document management system known as F2.

The pilot was designed to evaluate whether Collabora could meet the ministry’s requirements for handling official document templates, complex formatting, tracked changes, and seamless conversion between Microsoft and open-source document formats. The ministry’s announcement at the time described the project as a pilot rather than an immediate replacement, emphasizing that successful outcomes could lead to a broader rollout.

Former Digitalisation Minister Caroline Stage framed the initiative as a significant first step toward enhancing Denmark’s digital sovereignty and reducing reliance on major tech firms, particularly those based in the United States. The ministry hoped the pilot would demonstrate that open-source software could adequately support government workflows.

However, multiple reports surfaced in October 2026 revealing that the trial had been quietly discontinued several months earlier without any formal evaluation or public explanation. A government spokesperson confirmed there were no plans to restart the pilot. The exact date of termination remains unclear, though some sources linked the end of the project to the calling of national elections in spring 2026.

During the pilot, users encountered a range of technical issues including difficulties with document formatting, font rendering, blank pages, and problems with tracking changes. These challenges were particularly critical because the pilot aimed to test compatibility between Microsoft and open-source document formats within the integrated F2 case-management platform. Collabora’s integration into F2 was intended to enable users to select preferred editing tools while maintaining consistent document handling.

The ministry’s decision to end the pilot quietly, without publishing an evaluation report or detailed findings, has drawn criticism from experts. Mikkel Flyverbom, a professor at Copenhagen Business School, expressed regret that the experiences and lessons learned from the pilot were not shared, which could have benefited other government bodies exploring similar initiatives. Without an official assessment, it remains uncertain whether the technical problems could have been resolved or if other factors influenced the decision to halt the project.

Complicating the situation, the Ministry of Digitalisation itself was abolished in June 2026 following a royal resolution. Its duties were transferred to the newly formed Ministry of Research, Education and Digitalisation. This institutional change may have played a role in the discontinuation of the Collabora trial, although no official statement has confirmed this connection.

Despite the pilot’s quiet closure, Denmark’s broader public-sector digitalisation strategy for 2026–2029 continues to promote reducing vendor dependence, increasing market plurality, and encouraging pilot projects to gain practical experience with alternative technologies. Nevertheless, the experience highlights the challenges governments face when attempting to shift away from entrenched software ecosystems like Microsoft Office.

For the time being, the Danish government continues to rely on Microsoft products across its departments. The Collabora pilot remains an unfinished chapter in Denmark’s ongoing efforts to achieve greater digital independence and explore open-source solutions in public administration.