Nordic Data Center Week 2026 – Report to Members

Summary

The week was one of five Nordic programmes, organised by the industry associations in Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland. In Denmark, the industry met municipalities, the energy sector, politicians, researchers, climate organisations, entrepreneurs, students and schoolchildren.

Five messages recurred throughout the week:

•     The electricity grid is the immediate bottleneck. In the short term, the queue must be managed through flexibility and grid-friendly solutions. In the long term, more capacity must be built.

•     Opposition has become real. There was a demonstration against data centers both on stage and outside Datacenter Forum Copenhagen. The industry needs to engage with this actively.

•     Local value must be tangible. Support does not come from explaining that data centers are necessary. It comes from openness, early dialogue and concrete local contributions.

•     A shared factual basis is missing. Even basic figures on energy consumption and the number of data centers are hard to find, and this shapes the debate.

•     A national data center strategy is on its way. The government is expected to present it before Christmas. The week provided valuable input on what it should contain.

This report is structured around the themes of the week.

Looking ahead

The week gives DDI a clear mandate to work for facts, grid-friendliness and local roots in the run-up to the national data center strategy.

The week's activities took place in a new climate. The first demonstration against data centers on Thursday underlines how important it is for the industry to lean into the conversation with concerned citizens and the wider public. Concerned citizens are one of the most important items on DDI's agenda going forward.

•     The national strategy: DDI will use the input from the week in its dialogue with the government and the Danish Parliament, particularly on grid prioritisation, use-it-or-lose-it and the value of grid-friendliness.

•     A shared factual basis: Transparency about energy consumption, waste heat and the number of data centers was one of the few points everyone agreed on. This requires members to contribute data.

•     Preparedness for opposition: The demonstration at Datacenter Forum shows that members should be prepared for visible opposition at their own projects and events.

•     Western Denmark: The dialogue from Esbjerg continues with municipalities, the energy sector and investors on concrete partnerships.

•     Open doors: We encourage more operators to host school visits and open days during Nordic Data Center Week 2027 and throughout the year in general.

An invitation to members: Dialogue with society cannot be limited to one week a year. We would therefore like to invite you to a conversation about how, and what, we can do more of together throughout the year, so that Nordic Data Center Week does not stand alone. Separate information will follow later on.

Thank you to all hosts, partners and members who contributed to the week, including BULK, Google, Fredericia Maskinmesterskole, Business Esbjerg, ProVarde, Business Fredericia, Erhvervshus Sydjylland, the think tank Digital Infrastruktur, the IT University of Copenhagen, the Net Zero Innovation Hub, Eaton, Digital Realty and Microsoft and many more. 

Themes unfolded during the week:

Theme 1: Energy, the grid and grid prioritisation

The electricity grid was the dominant topic of the week. The new grid prioritisation was seen as necessary, but the industry warned against it becoming a permanent solution instead of genuine grid expansion.

Esbjerg: From individual projects to an integrated system (roundtable and networking meeting, 21 September)

DDI brought together municipalities, energy companies, authorities, investors and data center operators at Hotel Britannia. The key message was that Denmark has been ambitious on both the green and the digital agenda, but has not always planned the two together.

Marie Holm Thomsen from Green Power Denmark summarised the challenge in two time horizons: in the short term, the queue must be managed through flexibility and grid-friendly solutions; in the long term, more must be built. Participants pointed to co-location of production and consumption, batteries, flexible consumption, PPAs and local energy exchange as solutions that can ease the pressure.

Fredericia Talks: From scarcity to capacity (22 September)

Fredericia Talks was organised by Business Fredericia in partnership with DDI and Erhvervshus Sydjylland, with support from Danske Bank and Google. Around 250 places were available, and the audience brought together business, research, the energy sector and politics.

Charles Nielsen from EWII presented the emergency plan for the electricity grid. Henrik Hansen (DDI) took part in a fireside talk with Bianca Bruhn (Google Denmark) and Sebastian Bøttcher (Schneider Electric) on how the energy system can support AI, industry and the green transition. The day ended with a panel debate featuring, among others, CONCITO, EWII, Center Denmark and Christoffer Aagaard Melson (Venstre), Chair of the Danish Parliament's Business and Digitalisation Committee. The presentations are available from Business Fredericia.

Datacenter Forum Copenhagen: The industry and its partners aligned (24 September)

Merima Dzanic (DDI) took part in a panel debate with, among others, IDA and Anders Storgaard (Conservative People's Party). The panel quickly agreed on six points:

•     Europe must be able to build AI capacity without having to choose between digitalisation and climate. The Nordics show that the two can go hand in hand.

•     The new grid prioritisation is necessary, but must not create permanent investment uncertainty or replace genuine grid expansion.

•     Grid capacity should go to mature projects, with clear milestones, stronger commitment and use-it-or-lose-it.

•     Grid-friendliness must have real value. Flexibility, smart siting, batteries and waste heat should count in practice.

•     The EU's new requirements must be technology-neutral and support AI and high-density data centers, not hold them back.

•     Data centers should increasingly be seen as an integrated part of the energy system, not merely as large electricity consumers.

Webinar with Eaton: Can Data Centers Be Good Grid Citizens? (24 September)

Eaton focused on how data centers can move from being large consumers to actively contributing to grid stability and the integration of renewable energy.

What does this mean for members? The industry is strongest when it can document its grid-friendliness through concrete measures. These are the measures that should count in a future prioritisation model.

Theme 2: Public dialogue and new, visible opposition

Opposition to data centers is now real and visible in Denmark. At the same time, the week showed that there is more common ground between the industry and its critics than many expect.

Demonstration at Datacenter Forum Copenhagen (24 September)

During Datacenter Forum at the Radisson Blu Scandinavia, there was a demonstration against data centers, both on stage and outside the conference. It was the first demonstration of its kind, and it shows that opposition is now real in Denmark. Watch a video of the demonstration (in Danish).

This is an important signal to members. The debate is no longer conducted only in the media and in consultation responses, but also physically and through activist methods.

Open debate at ITU: Disagreeing on the answers, but agreeing on the questions (23 September)

The debate was organised by the think tank Digital Infrastruktur, the IT University of Copenhagen and DDI, and was moderated by Lars Trier Mogensen. The industry helped take the initiative, and critical voices were involved from the outset.

Steffen Holme Helledie (Social Liberal Party) said that the government is working on a strategy for data centers, which is expected to be presented before Christmas.

•     Climate: The Danish climate movement Klimabevægelsen proposed a cap on new data centers until the need is known. CONCITO called for data centers to bring their own energy production. On the other side was the argument that sustainable data centers already exist, and that data centers not built in Denmark will be built elsewhere with less green power. Liberal Alliance and IT-Branchen summed it up: Denmark needs both more data centers and more green energy.

•     Digital sovereignty: The panel agreed on the dependence on American tech companies. However, there was disagreement about whether a data center on Danish soil in itself provides control, or whether ownership of data and software is what matters. Several pointed to a risk-based approach.

•     The good neighbour: Answers ranged from supporting society and national security to giving back more than you take. Liberal Alliance pointed to decentralised data centers integrated into cities and connected to district heating.

There was broad agreement on two things: the need for transparency, and the idea of a national model that both places requirements on the industry and supports digital development. Read the full news story (in Danish).

Webinar: The Goldilocks Principle for Data Centers (22 September)

The webinar addressed the polarisation of the debate and sought a pragmatic middle ground between hype and backlash on land use, power and water.

What does this mean for members? The industry must be prepared for opposition at its own projects and events. The best response is facts and openness. DDI will work towards a shared factual basis, and this requires members to contribute data.

Theme 3: Local value and regional development

Western Denmark could become the place where green and digital infrastructure meet. But the potential will not realise itself, and local support requires that the value is tangible.

Kick-off in Esbjerg: Western Denmark as a hub (21 September)

The week was launched in Esbjerg, where DDI, together with Business Esbjerg and ProVarde, brought together municipalities, the energy sector, authorities and the industry. In the morning there was a closed roundtable (10:00–12:00). This was followed in the afternoon by a broader networking meeting for members (13:00–16:00).

Western Denmark already has many of the pieces in place: large amounts of renewable energy, strong energy companies, international fibre connections, development land and expertise in energy and offshore.

•     Business Esbjerg and ProVarde highlighted the opportunity to connect data centers with local energy production, waste heat, technical water and a growing supplier ecosystem.

•     Aabenraa Municipality showed how this thinking can be translated into physical planning. In Kassø, an integrated industrial park is being planned, combining renewable energy, PtX, data centers and heat.

•     atNorth and Microsoft presented examples of their work on local jobs and suppliers, education partnerships, waste heat and nature.

The message from both companies and municipalities was that there is no single model for creating local value. But the principle is the same: if data centers are to be part of the local community, the industry must also be present in the local community.

A Danish model for data centers?

A national strategy should not only be about how many data centers Denmark wants. It should also address which data centers we need, where they make most sense, and what value they should create. Denmark's traditions of energy planning, district heating and sector coupling could form the basis of a distinctly Danish model.

Fredericia as a test area

At Fredericia Talks, Mayor Peder Tind discussed what energy, capacity and competitiveness mean in concrete terms for Fredericia – and what the city can solve locally, and what requires national solutions.

What does this mean for members? The industry must be able to document its local contribution, be more flexible, and take on the difficult conversations about energy, land and the impact on local communities. Openness and early dialogue are at least as important as technical solutions.

Theme 4: Innovation and green technology

CMBLU won the top prize of €10,000 at the Net Zero Start-Up Hub pitch event, and eight companies were selected for the hub's 2026–2027 incubation programme.

Net Zero Start-Up Hub pitch event (22 September, Port House and Fredericia Talks)

Eight finalists pitched in the morning at Port House in Fredericia, and the winners were announced on stage at Fredericia Talks. The event was organised by the Net Zero Innovation Hub, DTU, Google and DDI. More than 45 companies from 19 countries applied, with technologies spanning power, efficiency, cooling, heat reuse and digital solutions.

• 1st place - CMBLU - €10,000
• 2nd place - Reverion - €7,000
• 3rd place - ATOCO - €5,000

 

The judging panel consisted of Bartlomiej Czechowski (Google), Jakob Jul Jensen (Danfoss), Professor Henrik Madsen (DTU) and Alberto Ravagni (CEO, Net Zero Innovation Hub).

The eight companies in the incubation programme are ATOCO, Carbon Clean, CMBLU Energy, Ionate, Loadwise, Kvasir, Neg8 Carbon and Reverion. The programme runs from January to June 2027 and begins with an in-person session in Fredericia in mid-January.

Henrik Hansen, CEO of DDI, puts it into perspective: "Denmark has the chance to be a genuine test bed for solving the grid and sustainability challenges we are facing right now when it comes to the buildout of digital infrastructure."

What does this mean for members? Many of the technologies the industry needs already exist, often developed for other sectors first. Operators and suppliers can get involved in the hub's network, pilot projects and testing. Read the full news story

Theme 5: Education and the workforce of the future

For the third year running, data centers opened their doors to schoolchildren, and this year the children asked harder questions than ever. At the same time, the industry met students at two careers fairs.

School visits to BULK and Fredericia Maskinmesterskole (21 and 22 September)

Year 5–7 classes from Esbjerg and Fredericia municipalities got an insight into the engine behind the internet. The questions were no longer about what a data center is, but about water, electricity, security and careers.

"We can tell that the children arrive with completely different knowledge compared with three years ago," says Merima Dzanic, COO/Head of Strategy & Operations at DDI.

•     Esbjerg: BULK showed the pupils IT equipment, the emergency generator and batteries. What made the biggest impression was the physical experience: going up on the roof and seeing the floor being opened up.

•     Fredericia: The visit took Google's data center in Taulov as its starting point. Two Google employees – a data technician and a mechanical engineer trained at Fredericia Maskinmesterskole – described their route into the industry. The pupils also saw the school's test data center, which is powered by solar panels on the roof. Read the full news story (in Danish).

The pupils drew their vision of the world's most sustainable data center. The best drawing wins DKK 2,000 for the class fund, and the winner will be announced on Monday 28 September.

Karrieremesse Esbjerg – careers fair (24 September)

DDI took part in the Future Outlook stand, where students and graduates could meet sectors set to shape the job market in the Esbjerg area over the next 5–10 years. The fair typically attracts around 1,000 participants and more than 60 companies.

Careers day at Teknika, Campus Lyngby (24 September)

DDI stood side by side with Digital Realty and Microsoft at the careers day for mechanical engineering students. Both members had many visitors, and several students left their contact details with a view to student jobs. DDI provided information about the industry in general and the opportunities offered by our other members.

Webinar CEDCE: Inside Data Centers (21 September, 15:00–16:00)

Kaj Kjellgren from DE-CIX explained how networks and connectivity work, and which skills the industry needs.

What does this mean for members? Openness works. When children go home and talk about emergency generators and "server doctors", they become ambassadors. DDI encourages more operators to open their doors next year and to take part in the careers fairs.