Pranav Hotkar
Reykjavík, Iceland - May 12, 2026 - Nordic data center operator atNorth has joined Nordic Compass, a newly launched pan-Nordic industrial alliance focused on strengthening regional competitiveness, technological resilience, and industrial innovation across Europe’s strategic sectors.
The initiative, formally known as The Nordic Round Table for Industry, brings together more than 25 major Nordic organizations spanning digital infrastructure, energy, capital markets, deep technology, and defense. The alliance is chaired by former Finnish Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen and aims to accelerate cross-border industrial coordination as Europe intensifies efforts to strengthen technological sovereignty and critical infrastructure resilience.
For atNorth, the move reflects the growing strategic importance of AI-ready digital infrastructure within Europe’s broader industrial and energy policy agenda. The company said the convergence of advanced compute, renewable energy systems, and sovereign infrastructure development is becoming increasingly central to Nordic competitiveness.
"Across at North, we see firsthand the increasing convergence of digital infrastructure, energy systems, and advanced compute across the Nordics,” said Eva Sóley Guðbjörnsdóttir, Chief Financial Officer and Deputy CEO at atNorth. She added that collaboration through Nordic Compass could help “accelerate innovation and strengthen regional competitiveness.”
The alliance plans to unveil its first initiatives during the Nordic Compass Summit scheduled for November 2026 in Gothenburg, Sweden. While detailed project plans have not yet been disclosed, the organization said its focus will include coordinated industrial action and implementation-ready initiatives across sectors viewed as critical to Europe’s long-term resilience.
atNorth’s participation aligns closely with the company’s broader strategy around sustainable AI infrastructure and high-density computing. The Iceland-headquartered operator currently runs data centers across Iceland, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland, with additional expansion projects underway in Kouvola, Finland; Ølgod, Denmark; Stockholm, Sweden; and Sollefteå Municipality in northern Sweden.
The company has increasingly positioned itself as a provider of renewable-powered infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing workloads, an area where Nordic markets are attracting growing global investment due to abundant renewable energy resources, cooler climates, and stable grid environments.
Nordic Compass also includes companies and organizations such as Aker ASA, Alfa Laval, Danfoss, Ericsson, Nokia, Nordea, Nasdaq Nordic, Vattenfall, Ørsted, Saab, and the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The alliance is expected to support collaboration between industry and governments on initiatives tied to industrial modernization, energy systems, and digital infrastructure development.
Industry analysts increasingly view sovereign AI infrastructure as becoming a strategic priority for European governments and enterprises, particularly as geopolitical tensions and rising AI demand place greater emphasis on domestic compute capacity, energy security, and localized digital ecosystems. The Nordic region has emerged as a major beneficiary of this trend, with operators rapidly scaling AI-focused data center developments across the region.
atNorth said its involvement in Nordic Compass builds on existing sustainability and policy commitments, including participation in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, the UN Global Compact, and the European Data Center Association.
