Data centre sector decries delayed release of critical technology council report

Last Tuesday, a broadcast highlighted findings from an unpublished Technology Council report that paints Norway's data centre sector as heavily foreign-owned, energy-intensive and of limited economic value. The council promised the full report would be issued the next day, but it has not appeared weeks later, prompting Abelia leader Øystein Eriksen Søreide to denounce the situation as a scandal. Council chair Sverre Gotaas admitted a communication slip and reiterated that the document would be released the following day, yet it remained absent when journalists followed up.

Industry figures such as Reynir Johannsson warned that political debates are being shaped by undisclosed data, calling for transparent evidence. The Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, which appoints the council, stressed its independence and said it had no role in the report’s dissemination. Stakeholders await the publication to assess the council’s claims and their impact on policy.