Today marks the end of this year’s Nordic Data Center Week, a region-wide initiative focused on the role of data centers in AI, digitalization, and the digital infrastructure needed for modern societies. With data centers being built at an unprecedented pace, it has never been more important to create opportunities for dialogue with the public. Opening conversations about how digital infrastructure underpins daily life is key to ensuring that data centers are not only technically advanced but also welcomed and understood by the communities around them. Data centers like those we operate depend on strong community alignment and trust, i.e. a social license to operate. When communities understand and value this infrastructure, it not only helps build long-term trust but also facilitates mutually beneficial growth.  

For Borealis Data Center, this dialogue is part of our broader commitment towards being a socially and environmentally responsible business. We believe that sustainable growth comes from measurable actions, such as our work on emissions monitoring and heat reuse, combined with active engagement with the people whose lives our industry touches. By aligning with global standards and compliance requirements, we aim to demonstrate that responsible data center operations can deliver lasting benefits both to society and the environment. 

Workforce development is another vital piece of this puzzle. In some smaller communities, data centers represent an important source of high-productivity, well-paid jobs, both through full-time positions and contracted roles. The question then becomes: how do we build the talent pipeline needed to meet growing demand? Earlier this year Borealis partnered with the University of Iceland, KAMK, IHPC, and CSC to co-host this Iceland Innovation Week event Urgent Action for AI & HPC Readiness, which brought together leaders in IT infrastructure, academia, and policy to explore how the Nordics can strengthen their role in the global AI and high-performance computing (HPC) landscape. Discussions emphasized how education systems must adapt to prepare a future-ready workforce, and how collaboration is crucial for creating reliable digital infrastructure.  

We also take pride in opening dialogue with even younger audiences. As part of this year’s program, our Kajaani team joined CSC in welcoming local high school math classes for a day dedicated to AI, supercomputing, and data centers. The students first heard from CSC about the role of digital infrastructure, after which our site manager shared insights on career opportunities in the industry, including practical advice on what skills and subjects to focus on during their studies. Local schools KAO and KAMK then introduced the educational paths they offer, followed by a tour of the LUMI supercomputer—one of Europe’s flagship EuroHPC systems. By participating in both class visits that day, our team helped spark curiosity about how digital infrastructure connects to future careers and global innovation. 

Last year during Nordic Data Center Week, we partnered with Iceland’s national power company Landsvirkjun to welcome a group of 11–12-year-old students from Blönduós where we operate a campus, giving them a firsthand look at how data centers operate. The students were given a presentation about career paths in the industry and a tour of the impressive and award-winning Blanda hydroelectric power plant. Their curiosity and enthusiasm reinforced why it is essential to demystify our industry and show that behind every AI model, online classroom, or digital service are real people building and running the infrastructure that makes it possible. 

Nordic Data Center Week is about more than data centers, it is about people, communities, and the collective journey we are on as society enters a new AI-driven era. At Borealis Data Center, we are committed to creating open spaces for dialogue, supporting education and workforce readiness, and operating with transparency and responsibility. Our aim is to ensure our data centers remain not just engines of innovation for our customers but trusted and valued parts of the communities where they stand. 

For future Nordic Data Center Week events happening at the end of September each year, check out the programs being shared by national data center associations in the Nordics. In Kajaani, where Borealis operates a campus, the municipality has published its own agenda: Nordic Data Center Week in Kajaani.