Conferences

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.

As the Norwegian Minister of Defense, Tore O. Sandvik, stated on the stage in Stjørdal this week: “To avoid war, you have to prepare for war.”

The conference gathered more than 800 participants, making it one of the largest defense events in the Nordic region.
GCE NODE and the Future Defense Industry South (FFS) project were present, represented by project manager Tina McDougall, who followed the discussions closely and engaged with key stakeholders.

“Bringing together Nordic defense staffs, academia, policymakers and industry, the conference is an essential place to build relations, share insights and learn from each other. The Trøndelag region takes a proactive and inspiring approach to its defense-related work,” says McDougall.

Speakers at the conference repeatedly emphasized that ambition and technological development are accelerating, while the supply chain struggles to keep pace. “Speed is of the essence. We need to cooperate,” was a recurring message from industry and defense leaders.

Professor Katarzyna Zysk from the Norwegian Institute for Defense Studies highlighted four essential requirements for modern security: speed, resilience, endurance and cohesion. “We must be able to adapt quickly, sustain operations over time and stand together with clear collective resilience,” she said.

Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Conservative Party leader Ine Eriksen Søreide reflected on NATO’s long-term posture. “For years, NATO policy has been shaped as a reaction to Russia rather than by our own strategic choices,” she said. She also warned of the danger if war begins to feel like a new normal.

State Secretary Eivind Vad Petersson stressed that preparedness can no longer rely solely on stockpiles. “Conflicts evolve quickly, and time must increasingly be measured in weeks rather than months or years,” he said. While ammunition requires large reserves, he noted that front-line drone capabilities depend on rapid development and adaptation.

Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency reinforced the importance of tempo, industrial capacity and early cooperation. “Industrial strategy is also security strategy,” they stated, pointing to the growing relevance of dual-use technologies.

Kenneth Ruud, Director General at Norwegian Defense Research Establishment, summarized the challenge: “Technology alone does not create defense capability. The winner will be the one who can most rapidly convert technology into operational effects.”