What Stargate Norway Means for Nordic Businesses
Johannes Zuidhoek Sundby, CEO
Tairo Partners
This isn't just infrastructure news. It signals that Northern Norway is positioning itself as an AI hub - and the businesses that understand this early will have advantages their competitors won't.
Why Narvik?
Stargate Norway chose the Narvik region for its abundant hydropower, low-cost energy, and cool climate. The facility will run entirely on renewable power with 100,000 NVIDIA GPUs by the end of 2026.
The numbers are significant: Nscale and Aker have each committed approximately $1 billion to the initial phase. The facility starts at 230MW capacity with plans to expand by an additional 290MW. The location at Skoglund in Bjerkvik offers low electricity prices and naturally cool conditions - exactly what's needed for massive compute operations.
"This isn't a coincidence. Microsoft, Google, and others are expanding Nordic datacenter presence. The AI infrastructure boom is happening here, in our backyard."
The Local Innovation Ecosystem
What makes this particularly interesting for regional businesses is the connection to local institutions. The project will collaborate with local and regional academic institutions to advance AI research and development.
UiT Narvik - part of the Arctic University of Norway - already runs AI and machine learning research programs, hosts the Northern Lights Deep Learning Conference, and operates through innovation partnerships like Forskningsparken Narvik. These connections between commercial infrastructure and academic research create opportunities that didn't exist 12 months ago.
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What This Actually Means for Your Business
Regional AI Talent Development
Better access to AI talent locally. Right now, most Nordic companies building AI solutions hire remotely or relocate talent. That's changing.
Priority Compute Access
Norwegian researchers, startups, and public institutions get priority access. For ambitious businesses, this means potential partnership opportunities.
Data Sovereignty
Local infrastructure means using advanced AI while keeping data within Norway. Crucial for healthcare, finance, and government contractors.
The Ecosystem Effect
Investment follows infrastructure. Companies that position themselves in this ecosystem early get first access to opportunities.
What You Should Do Now
Don't wait for the datacenter to be fully operational to start thinking about AI. By then, your competitors will already be optimized.
- Audit your operations for automation opportunities
- Get your data organized and consolidated
- Test small with one automation project
- Connect with the ecosystem early
The Timing is Now
Northern Norway is positioning itself as an AI hub. For Scandinavian businesses, this isn't "tech news." It's a fundamental shift. Nordic businesses that understand this moment and act on it will dominate their industries for the next decade.