DNV and industry leaders collaborate to strengthen Norway’s competitiveness with new industrial AI safety framework

DNV and industry leaders collaborate to strengthen Norway’s competitiveness with new industrial AI safety framework

(IN BRIEF) DNV has launched a national initiative to develop a regulatory sandbox for high-risk industrial AI in Norway, bringing together leading companies across multiple sectors. The effort aims to create a structured framework for safely testing and deploying AI applications such as autonomous systems, predictive maintenance, and process optimisation. The consortium identified key challenges, including defining high-risk AI, ensuring safe scaling of autonomous systems, and integrating domain and AI expertise. By addressing these issues, the initiative seeks to establish a first-of-its-kind model for industrial AI governance, supporting innovation while ensuring safety and regulatory compliance. The project could strengthen Norway’s position as a leader in responsible digital transformation.

(PRESS RELEASE) HØVIK, 27-Apr-2026 — /EuropaWire/ — DNV has initiated a national collaboration aimed at advancing the safe deployment of industrial artificial intelligence in Norway, bringing together leading companies to establish a regulatory sandbox for high-risk AI applications.

The initiative follows a joint declaration led by NHO and major industrial players earlier in 2026. Building on this commitment, DNV hosted the first working session on 19 March, marking the start of efforts to translate strategic intent into practical implementation.

During the session, participating organisations presented key industrial AI use cases considered critical within their respective sectors. These included applications such as autonomous navigation, fraud detection, predictive maintenance, and process optimisation. The diversity of participants—spanning telecommunications, finance, energy, maritime, defence, and advanced manufacturing—highlighted the wide range of operational environments and risk considerations associated with industrial AI.

Despite these differences, the consortium identified a shared need to define what constitutes “high-risk” AI in industrial contexts and to establish clear system-level requirements for safe deployment. Participants emphasized that the sandbox will play a central role in addressing these challenges by providing a structured environment for testing and validating AI systems.

The initiative is being developed without an existing blueprint, as no comparable cross-sector industrial AI sandbox currently exists. This creates an opportunity for the consortium to shape a new framework that balances innovation with safety and regulatory compliance.

A major focus of the discussions was the safe scaling of autonomous systems. Many of the proposed applications involve AI systems that interact directly with physical assets such as vessels, power plants, and industrial machinery. These use cases require robust safety assurance processes, including advanced simulation, scenario testing, uncertainty analysis, and validation methodologies.

Participants also stressed the importance of combining domain expertise with AI-specific knowledge. Industry specialists contribute an understanding of operational risks and engineering constraints, while AI experts provide insight into model behaviour, reliability, and data-related challenges. Integrating these perspectives is seen as essential to developing credible standards and assurance practices.

The workshop further identified several fundamental questions that will guide the sandbox’s development. These include defining the scope of AI technologies covered, understanding how human operators will interact with AI systems over time, and determining what evidence is required to demonstrate system safety and performance.

The initiative concluded its first phase with a shared commitment to building a framework that supports both innovation and responsible deployment. If successful, the regulatory sandbox could position Norway as a leader in safe and scalable industrial AI, strengthening its competitiveness in digital transformation.

The broader initiative brings together key industry participants including Equinor, Telenor, Kongsberg Gruppen, SINTEF, Hydro, Yara International, DNB, Cognite, Aker ASA, and Vår Energi, reflecting a broad cross-section of Norway’s industrial and technological landscape.

Media contacts:

Peter Lovegrove
Media Relations Manager, Group
+4740904294
Peter.Lovegrove@dnv.com

SOURCE: DNV