Collaborating across borders in the energy sector

These were the questions at the center of this week’s joint gathering hosted by Energy Cluster Denmark, where representatives from several Norwegian energy clusters visited Denmark to learn how we approach innovation, cluster work, and cross-industry collaboration.

Energy Cluster Denmark shared their innovation model, emphasizing something I strongly believe in: demand-driven innovation. When industry challenges and members needs shape the agenda, the collaboration becomes real and the impact grows. As the cluster itself noted, collaboration only takes off when members actively support a unified innovation platform.

I had the opportunity to join the event as a speaker, representing the digital mindset within renewables, and as someone standing with one foot in Denmark and one foot in Norway through Antire’s presence in Oslo. That dual perspective sparked a lot of interesting conversations about shared challenges, technologies, and where we can learn from each other. Below are my key takeaways from the event.

Collaboration as the core driver of innovation

One thing was clear from the moment the Norwegian clusters arrived: they are exploring the best ways to collaborate, drawing inspiration from how Denmark unified its clusters five years ago into what is now Energy Cluster Denmark.

Their goal? To boost innovation across the Norwegian energy industry by strengthening collaboration. The logic is simple. When companies talk together, share challenges, and build on each other’s experience, innovation accelerates.

The meeting reflected exactly that. Danish companies from across the value chain (wave energy, offshore wind, digital solutions, business model design) were invited to share concrete insights. It created a setting where everyone, from early-stage innovators to established energy players, could openly discuss what works, what doesn’t, and what’s needed next.

For me, the most meaningful part was realizing how similar our challenges are across countries and technologies. Whether you work with wind turbines, wave energy, hydropower, or hybrid energy parks, data fragmentation, scaling operations, and unlocking digital value are universal hurdles.

And that is exactly where collaboration can make the difference.

New technologies and new mindsets shaping the energy transition

One surprising insight from the sessions was the sheer presence of wave energy technologies. Compared to Denmark, where wind dominates the conversation, Norway’s coastline and conditions make wave energy a strong emerging focus. Several companies presented their solutions.

This opens interesting opportunities for digitalization, AI, and scalable asset management. Wave assets are typically smaller, more numerous, and more distributed, making data-driven tools even more relevant.

Another trend that caught my attention was the changing risk profile among energy asset owners. Over the last five years, these industry participants traditionally seen as bold risk-takers have become markedly more conservative. With lower appetite for risk, their investment decisions are slowing significantly. This shift affects the pace of the entire energy transition, and it changes how we need to approach innovation and digital solutions going forward.

Finally, hydrogen sparked lively discussions. While interest in Denmark has cooled, Norway is still betting heavily on hydrogen. Whether this becomes a global trend remains to be seen, but if Norway cracks scalable production, the world will pay attention.

Seeing energy systems as complementary, not competing

A major takeaway was the difference in how Denmark and Norway view the starting point for the green transition.

Denmark begins from what many would call a “greener baseline”, whereas Norway, is transitioning from a different starting point. But both aim for the same long-term goal, and both bring strengths the other does not.

This is why collaboration matters. Wind, wave, hydro, solar, hydrogen, none of these should be seen as competitors. They are complementary pieces of the same puzzle.

Scandinavia has a huge advantage: we have the technology, the expertise, and the will to invest. What we need now is better integration of solutions and a mindset that different technologies strengthen each other.

For Antire and for Minds and Co., this opens meaningful opportunities. Our combination of deep business understanding and strong digital and AI capabilities is something the industry clearly needs across all energy types. From data collection to building AI-enabled insights across complex asset portfolios, the value chain is the same, the challenges are the same, and the need for smart solutions is only growing.

The delegation from Norway  in Esbjerg, visiting Energy Cluster Denmark.

Looking forward

If I could implement one idea immediately, it would be to strengthen our presence in the Norwegian cluster. With Minds and Co.’s deep understanding of the energy business combined with Antire’s proven track record in AI, we have a strong foundation for bridging into the future and supporting the ongoing electrification journey. Because the next 5–10 years will shape the future of Scandinavian energy. We must rebuild trust in renewables, accelerate investment, and stop seeing technologies as competing silos. Instead, collaboration must be at the center across companies, across borders, and across energy types.

This week showed me that the motivation, curiosity, and openness to collaborate are already there, both in Denmark and in Norway. Now it’s about turning those conversations into action.

And if this meeting is any indication, we are heading in the right direction. 

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