Norway’s Datacentre Boom Raises Critical Infrastructure Governance Questions
A new Belfer Center chapter examines how Norway governs datacentres as critical infrastructure, focusing on the tension between economic development, national security and private-sector control. The study argues that foreign investment and shared responsibility are creating complex accountability challenges.
- A Belfer Center chapter examines governance of Norway’s datacentres as critical infrastructure.
- The study focuses on the effects of private actors and foreign investment.
- Responsibility is shared among state oversight, local co-management and operators.
- Researchers identify vertical and horizontal coordination challenges.
- The chapter explores governance as a prevention framework for infrastructure protection.
Datacentres at the centre of the study
The chapter, titled When the Market Decides: The Creeping Governance Crisis of Critical Infrastructure in Norway’s Datacentre Politics, investigates the governance of critical infrastructure in Norway’s datacentre industry. It was published by the Belfer Center on 2026-11-05 and appears as Chapter 9 in Crises in Our Times: At the Intersection of Security and Responsibility, published by De Gruyter in 2026.
Its authors are Alexandra Middleton, Astrid Marie Holand and Corine Wood-Donnelly. The chapter examines how infrastructure policy must balance the economic value of datacentres with the security responsibilities attached to systems considered critical to national interests.
Private investment complicates accountability
According to the chapter’s abstract, the research looks at how private actors influence governance mechanisms and accountability structures in the critical infrastructure sector. A central issue is the role of foreign investment in infrastructure that has implications for national security.
The study describes a system in which responsibility is divided among state oversight, local co-management and datacentre operators. That arrangement can support coordination between public authorities and companies, but it also raises questions about who is accountable when economic and security priorities conflict.
The researchers analyse policy documents, regulatory frameworks, news coverage and case studies. They use two case studies from Norway’s datacentre industry to examine the practical challenges involved.
A prevention framework for critical infrastructure
The chapter uses governance as a prevention framework, assessing both its potential and its limitations in protecting critical infrastructure. It identifies challenges in vertical coordination, between different levels of government, and horizontal coordination, between institutions and other actors involved in infrastructure governance.
The findings point to a complex relationship between national authorities, local bodies and operators. Rather than presenting critical infrastructure protection as the responsibility of the state alone, the research considers how responsibilities are distributed across public and private participants.
Why the findings matter
The research provides policy insights for countries trying to attract datacentre investment while addressing changing security risks. Its focus on Norway shows how decisions shaped by market participation and foreign investment can affect oversight and responsibility in critical infrastructure.
The authors say the findings have implications for understanding how nations can balance economic development with security imperatives amid increasing international interdependence and evolving security challenges. The full chapter is available through the publisher’s website, with the Belfer Center providing the recommended citation and publication details.
