About the event

Organizer: Norwegian Datacenter Industry

Programme – 21 September

The Digital North

Norway has cheap power, a cold climate and a location that matters more than it did five years ago. Day 1 asks what that position is worth, and what it will take to keep it.

Held in Norwegian. Simultaneous interpretation into English throughout. Headsets are handed out at registration.

09:00 | Registration, coffee and exhibition

09:15 | DC Dames is founded

Women in the industry establish their own organisation. dcdames.no

10:30–12:00 | Session 1: Building value for Norway

Where Norway stands: the government's position, the numbers behind the industry and the companies building the infrastructure.

Opening

Fredrik Solvang
Host, welcome and introduction film

Reynir Jóhannesson
CEO, Norwegian Datacenter Industry

Keynotes

Marianne Wilhelmsen
State Secretary, Ministry of Digitalisation and Public Governance

Stian Jenssen
Managing Director Scandinavia, Nscale

Jon Gravråk
CEO, Bulk Infrastructure

John-Eivind Velure
Director General, Nkom

Panel discussion

What does the datacenter industry actually leave behind in Norway?

With all keynote speakers.

12:00–13:15 | Lunch and exhibition

13:15–15:00 | Session 2: Energy and grid

No power, no data centers. Grid capacity, connection queues and the build out of generation and transmission.

Special address | 13:15 | 15 minutes

Stanislav Prybytko
Deputy Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine

Ukraine has spent four years keeping a country online while its power and telecom networks were being hit. Prybytko holds the digital infrastructure portfolio and has run that work from the inside, from redundancy and dispersed capacity to rebuilding under fire. It is expensive experience, and Norway has reason to listen to it.

Keynotes

Kjetil Lund
Director General, NVE

Halvor Lie
Senior Vice President, Customer and grid connection, Statnett

Pelle Gangeskar
Country Manager Norway, Hscale

Emil Schwabe-Hansen
Vice President Asset exposure management Nordics, Statkraft

Rosalie Poen
CEO, Lyse

Panel discussion

Does Norway have the power and the grid for the next wave?

With keynote speakers from NVE, Statnett, Hscale, Statkraft and Lyse.

Commentators

Ole Petter Pedersen
Commentator, Europower

Ellen S. Viseth
Commentator, Teknisk Ukeblad

Anders Lie Brenna
Commentator, EnergiWatch

15:00–15:30 | Break and exhibition

15:30–17:00 | Session 3: Let’s impress Truls

The industry gets one shot at impressing Truls Gulowsen. Operators present what they actually build in Norwegian terrain, and Truls then responds openly on where the industry stands.

The industry makes its case

Stine Bjønnstu Holthe
Head of Sustainability, Bulk Infrastructure

Trond Johannessen
Chief Executive Officer, Skygard

Geir Erik Almquist
Head of Technical Solutions Norway, Vaultica

Torkild Follaug
Sustainability Director, Green Mountain

Haakon Bryhni
Chairman, Tydal Data Center

Mats Andersson
Chief Commercial Officer, Lefdal Mine Datacenter

Byrne Murphy
Chairman, Kitebrook

Cathrine Myhre Telje
Chief Executive Officer, Kitebrook

Truls responds

Truls Gulowsen
Environmental campaigner

Gets the last word on the presentations: what convinces him, and what does not.

Panel discussion

Did we impress you? Where industry and nature actually conflict, and where they do not.

Operators and Truls Gulowsen.

19:00 | Conference dinner

Limited seats.

The conference dinner runs from 19:00 to 21:30. It is added separately during registration and is included on early bird tickets.

Programme – 22 September

The Value Chain

Day 2 belongs to the companies that make data center development possible: what operators demand, what Norwegian suppliers can deliver and who will build the next wave.

Supplier Day

Host and moderator: Tore Svanes

08:30–09:00 | Registration, mingling and coffee

09:00 | Welcome and opening of Day 2

Tore Svanes

Reynir Jóhannesson
Norwegian Datacenter Industry

09:10–10:30 | Session 1: From greenfield to operational data center

The practical realities of developing modern data centers and the role suppliers play in infrastructure, permitting, construction and sustainability.

• Site selection, permitting and authorities
• Power availability and grid capacity
• Design, engineering and scalability
• Construction and speed to market
• Sustainability and efficient development

Building at scale: What data center developers need from their partners
Anders Hilt, EdgeConneX

Stepping up to the challenge: How Norwegian contractors can win in data centers
Skjalg Lund, Backe Industry

Two short speeches, five minutes each
Morten Luneng, Norconsult
Jonas Alexandersson, Æge Energy

Panel discussion

What are the biggest bottlenecks facing data center development in Norway today?

Moderator: Tore Svanes

Elevator pitches

Six companies. Five minutes each. Companies announced on the day.

10:30–10:50 | Break and exhibition

10:50–12:10 | Session 2: Strengthening the Norwegian supplier ecosystem

As global investment accelerates, suppliers differentiate through innovation, expertise and collaboration. How can the Norwegian ecosystem capture more value at home and abroad?

• What operators and customers demand
• Strengths and weaknesses of Norwegian suppliers
• Collaboration versus competition
• Building strong supplier clusters
• Creating international competitiveness

Framing the session
Tore Svanes, host and moderator

From local suppliers to European data center partners: The Irish experience
Stephen Cogan, Digital Infrastructure Ireland

From potential to position: Building Norway’s data center supply industry
Rolf Pedersen, Gapit Nordics

Panel discussion

How can Norwegian suppliers become preferred partners in future data center projects?

Moderator: Tore Svanes

Elevator pitches

Six companies. Five minutes each. Companies announced on the day.

12:10–13:00 | Lunch and exhibition

13:00–13:30 | Live podcast: Behind the Cloud

Who will build the data centers? Thirty minutes on the opportunity for Norway's supplier industry, with Rolf Pedersen and Tore Svanes.

How do you get in?
Speakers to be announced

From Norway to Europe
Karin Angus, Enterprise Ireland

The billion kroner opportunity
Rolf Pedersen, Gapit Nordics
Tore Svanes
Reynir Jóhannesson, Norwegian Datacenter Industry

13:30–14:00 | Building the industry, building the workforce

Norwegian jobs, not just Norwegian megawatts. Where the people come from, and how the shift from construction to operations is staffed.

Bjørn Rønning
Moderator, Norwegian Datacenter Industry

Who will build Norway's next industry, and how?
Steffen Dyre Hansen, CEO, The Assessment Company

Debate: What do we need to do together, starting now?
Petr Vasiliev, El og IT Forbundet

14:00–14:20 | Break and exhibition

14:20–15:45 | Session 3: Is Norway ready for the next wave of data center and AI investments?

AI is driving unprecedented demand. Does Norway have the power, the connectivity, the regulation and the investment climate to stay a leading destination?

• Power, grid capacity and connection processes
• Fiber, redundancy and international connectivity
• Location attractiveness and investment criteria
• Future demand from AI, cloud and digitalisation

Beyond the megawatts: What the data center and AI boom could mean for Norway
Kristin Aamodt, PwC Norway
Synne Christine Hangeland, PwC Norway

Why here? What it takes to win the next generation of data centers
Svein Atle Hagaseth, CEO and founder, Heim Datacenters

Financing the AI infrastructure boom: What does it take to attract capital?
Kristian Løvdal, Arctic Securities

Panel discussion

What must Norway do today to secure its share of tomorrow's investments?

Moderator: Tore Svanes

Elevator pitches

Six to eight companies. Five minutes each. Companies announced on the day.

15:45–16:00 | Closing of Day 2

Reynir Jóhannesson
Norwegian Datacenter Industry