AI data centres are a cornerstone for driving efficiency and value creation across sectors - and represent a potential new Norwegian export success, transforming hydropower into computing power.  

This year's biggest tech news came from Narvik with Stargate Norway, a 500 MW data centre powered by renewable energy. And just this week, Bifrost Edge announced a 285 MW facility in Arendal.

These aren't just data centres. They represent the convergence of the global AI economy with Norwegian industry, energy and infrastructure - and they're part of something much bigger. 

By Cato Lammenes, VP and Head of Tampnet Carrier

From energy to computing to computing power - and value 

For more than 100 years, Norway has built a world-leading energy nation on natural resources, long-term investment, expertise, and companies delivering globally. 

Now it's time to do the same for the digital infrastructure, a sector becoming just as critical to the future economy as hydropower and oil and gas were to the 20th century. 

AI isn't a niche technology. It's moving rapidly into industry, healthcare, maritime, energy, and public services - set to improve efficiency across society and free up massive human capacity for value creation. 

Viewed in isolation, data centres generate twice the value per GWh as traditional energy-intensive industry - NOK 1.8 million versus 0.9 million. That means we gain more socio-economic value by using our energy to create computing power and AI services in Norway than by exporting it as a raw commodity via cables. 

And unlike electricity, computing power can be exported instantly, losslessly - via subsea fibre cables. Norway already has the world's fastest and most reliable offshore communications network, enabling digital value export with millisecond latency to Europe's financial and industrial centres. 

A new value chain for national growth 

Norway is uniquely positioned to become a European hub for sustainable data processing - with a stable climate, clean energy, and high digital competence. What's needed now is a shift in mindset: to see the data centre industry for what it truly is - a high-value industrial opportunity, not just a power-hungry building. 

This isn't about streaming cat videos faster. It's about enabling Norwegian companies to develop and leverage world-class AI that reduces costs and improves service quality. 

Stargate is the latest in a growing sector. Green Mountain has already built several centres, Google is investing nearly NOK 7 billion in Skien, Microsoft has opened two Azure regions, and Telenor, Hafslund and HitecVision are building Skygard in Oslo. 

Together, they point to a new export frontier: computing power and digital services delivered from Norway. 

Connections must be as strong as the servers 

But to make this work, we must connect northern capacity to southern demand - and onward to Europe. Low latency, high security, and reliable digital transport must be prioritised on par with cooling and power. Strong "digital highways" are key.

Narvik is a clear example: fibre infrastructure must be developed in parallel with data centres - not after the fact. Today, Northern Norway's fibre capacity is too weak to meet these ambitions.

Moreover, the government's data centre strategy lacks sufficient anchoring in local planning, and municipal decision-making. This creates a gap between national ambitions and local execution capabilities.

To successfully establish centres like Stargate, digital infrastructure must be prioritised equally with cooling and power - and be planned concurrently. 

This is where players like Tampnet can play a vital role. With experience building the world's most robust offshore communications network - connecting over 450 installations - we can help ensure data centres are linked with high capacity, low latency, and industrial-grade resilience. 

Such investments have ripple effects: more jobs, greater resilience, and robust infrastructure benefiting local communities and other industries. 

A national effort with global vision

To succeed, the data centre sector needs the same long-term support and trust that traditional heavy industry has enjoyed. This isn't about subsidies - but about fair competition and recognition as strategic infrastructure. 

Data centres in Narvik, Skien, and beyond will become nodes in a value chain; from hydropower to knowledge work; from AI-assisted medical diagnostics to optimized fisheries logistics. 

This is Norway's digital continental shelf. Now we must build it - and connect it. 

This article was published in Computerworld in September 2025, read in Norwegian here.