Herøya Industripark head addresses data center report leak

Sverre Gotaas, managing director of Herøya Industripark and chair of the Technology Council (Teknologirådet), has addressed allegations of role confusion following a leaked report regarding Norway’s data center industry.

In an NRK report, Gotaas criticized the data center sector for requiring massive amounts of electricity while providing limited value creation. The report featured findings from an unpublished Technology Council report, which was commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to advise the government on new technology.

Gotaas denied using his position to advocate for the interests of Herøya Industripark, noting that a data center is actually under construction within the park. He attributed the premature release of the council’s findings to a communication error, stating he believed the report was scheduled for publication on Tuesday.