Conferences

A true story.

One that raises the big question: “How on earth?!”

AI is changing how customers find, evaluate, and choose businesses. This means that simply being visible in search engines is no longer enough; we must also be understood, cited, and selected by both humans and AI.

On 27 October, GCE NODE, Knowit, and Fædrelandsvennen invite you to a breakfast meeting that connects AI, the customer journey, and organizational strength.

The meeting features Henrik Ebbesen from Geelmuyden Kiese, one of the Nordic region’s most compelling voices on practical AI adoption and digital transformation. He explores what it actually takes to create value, rather than just increasing efficiency.

“I heard Henrik speak during Arendalsuka, and it was perhaps the best AI presentation I’ve ever heard. That’s why we’re delighted to have booked him for this breakfast meeting, so that more people in Southern Norway can hear him speak,” says Arnt Aske, Director of Strategic Business Development at Knowit.

He believes the answer to the Canada-Otechos mystery isn’t all that mysterious.

“Small technology companies can compete with larger players by making their technical proximity to the customer’s problem visible. The engineers’ strength lies not in advertising jargon, but in precision, experience, and credible choices. The optimization engines will yield more relevant answers, and that comes from the engineers,” says Aske.

“GCE NODE-companies are full of skilled engineers. Now, it is a matter of giving them the insights and tools they need to harness the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. This will be crucial for future innovation and value creation,” says Knut Mjåland, CEO of GCE NODE.

Read more and sign up for the breakfast meeting

Together with project manager at Fremtidens Havvind, Kristian Johnsen, and a delegation of political representatives, Mjåland visited Hamburg recently for Europe’s largest wind expo. WindEnergy Hamburg drew more than 45,000 visitors.

“The event was first and foremost a reminder of how large and important wind power has become, both in Europe and globally. But it also made even clearer what Norway must do to succeed in this industry, where we are still struggling to get properly started,” says Mjåland.

“Furthermore, it is an excellent arena for starting a dialogue with potential partners and participants in our Sørlige Nordsjø II Supplier Network and Wind Turbine Blade Production projects,” says Johnsen.

While Norway has held two licensing rounds (Sørlige Nordsjø II and Utsira Nord), other countries have multiple projects moving simultaneously through every stage of development — from licensing and awarding to planning, construction, and grid connection.

“It’s crucial to have a pipeline of projects moving through all stages. In Norway, we have only two projects underway, and none following behind them. This a major weakness which makes it difficult to build a new industry. Also, Norway seems to have a more time-consuming approval process than countries that are already familiar with offshore wind,” says Johnsen.

Norway’s long-term ambition is to allocate 30 GW wind power by 2040. Yet the roadmap for how to reach that goal remains unclear. The long-awaited tempo plan, meant to outline progress and originally scheduled for release in 2026, now appears postponed until 2027.

“It looks like we will lose even more time before we can move forward,” says Mjåland.

Meanwhile, Europe is accelerating its wind investments, and Chinese turbine technology is rapidly advancing.

“We need to learn from others. Europe has stable framework conditions and a steady supply of new projects. That allows the industry to invest in technology and expertise that drive down costs and make wind power more competitive,” says Johnsen.

Norwegian companies generated revenues of NOK 64 billion from offshore wind last year. Yet the domestic market remains absent.

“We can’t afford to wait to build a home market. It represents an enormous industrial opportunity with thousands of jobs and high value creation. Also, Norway needs more power and offshore wind provides plenty of it. When Sørlige Nordsjø II is completed, it will be Norway’s largest power plant,” says Mjåland.

“Europe is moving full speed ahead. Norway needs to find a common ground and tag along,” says Johnsen.

“The Norwegian offshore wind industry is a highly capable and impressive industry that already delivers globally,” says Arne Thomassen, Mayor of Agder County.

He continued: “It is unfortunate that Norway has not come further. The feedback from industry is clear: politicians must unite behind broad, long term support and predictable framework conditions.”

GCE NODE and the Fremtidens Havvind project hosted the political delegation from Agder to strengthen dialogue between industry and decision makers. The delegation met with major industrial actors across the offshore wind value chain.
The message from companies was consistent: the sector needs predictability, stable political frameworks and a realistic development pace to scale effectively.

Torunn Høyum-Eriksen, Member of Agder County Council, noted that the industry already plays a significant role in Southern Norway.

“This is a sector that is already important for Agder. We must continue supporting industry and work together politically, regionally and nationally to find good solutions,” says Høyum-Eriksen.

WindEnergy Hamburg brought together thousands of companies, policymakers and technology leaders. Thomassen pointed to the scale of the event as evidence of the opportunity.

“This is the biggest wind industry event in Europe. It shows that Norway has a unique chance to build entirely new industrial capacity as part of the green transition. The opportunities are enormous. I wish more national politicians had come here to meet the companies shaping this future,” says Thomassen.

GCE NODE and Fremtidens Havvind plan to continue inviting local and national politicians to future delegations, ensuring that policy development remains closely connected to industry needs.

“We appreciate the time and effort put in by some of our leading politicians. It is important for policymakers and industry to work well together to further develop the industry,” says Knut Mjåland, CEO of GCE NODE, and Kristian Johnsen, Project Manager at Fremtidens Havvind.

They credit Innovation Norway and NORWEP with organizing a strong Team Norway presence and well executed events during the exhibition.