Research news and blogposts from DIG.
Which dependencies have we chosen without even knowing it? What is the real cost of resilience, and who should pay for it? These were among the key questions discussed when NHH brought together senior leaders from business, government and defence on the eve of this year’s DIG Summit.
Head of the Centre for Extended Working Life, Kari Østerud, has been appointed as the newest DIG Fellow. Being appointed DIG Fellow requires the recipient to have made a substantial and lasting impact in areas related to DIG’s research agenda.
In 1936, when NHH opened, the main challenges were caused by technological breakthroughs in a geopolitically unstable world. The picture is much the same 90 years on.
We have never had so much information at our fingertips, yet things around us feel uncertain. Do my colleagues like my proposal? Are we in a bubble? Will artificial intelligence replace us?
The most innovative entrepreneurs are over 50. Yet it is younger entrepreneurs who tend to attract the capital and attention. That is why NHH recently invited people aged 50+ to an evening dedicated to entrepreneurship and new ideas.
A summary based on research by Thora Lou and Inger G. Stensaker, NHH Norwegian School of Economics
As technology continues to evolve, Associate Professor Jialei Yang investigates what it takes for companies to succeed in an increasingly complex innovation landscape.
With support from the DIG Deeper program, Markus Rognan Bjørneklett and Philip Hodne turned a broad interest in AI into a focused and testable master’s thesis.
Many companies do not fail because their products are poor. They struggle because too many competitors are using the same business model to serve the same customers in the same way.
As digital technologies become increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few global platform companies, questions of technological dependence, strategic autonomy, and geopolitical influence are becoming impossible for leaders to ignore.
Retail and industry association Virke works for large sections of Norwegian businesses. When staying updated on how AI is developing and shaping the economic landscape of Norway, DIG provides knowledge from research and partners.
In the near future, a global investment fund uses AI agents to analyze investments in a complex market. The system begins to misinterpret risk without anyone noticing, even with executives “in the loop.” Its recommendations appear credible and are followed, resulting in significant losses and turmoil in financial markets.
DIG has become more than a research centre, it is a place to share important insights, according to outgoing chair of the board, Rune Skjelvan at DIG Annual Meeting 2026.
Norway's AI sector keeps growing, but knowing who is actually building AI — rather than simply talking about it — has remained hard to pin down.
For PhD Research Scholar Silas Braun, some of the most interesting insights into teamwork emerge when collaboration does not go as planned.
Digdir, the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency, will be the home of a new public body - “KI Norge” (KIN), set up by the Government to help and promote the adoption of AI both in the private and public sectors. The head of the new body, Hans Christian Holte talks in this interview about the tasks awaiting the new KIN.
Artificial intelligence is already changing recruitment, particularly through tools that support automated screening and candidate matching. AI can make recruitment faster, more systematic, and potentially more objective, but responsible use requires strong human involvement.
Since 2016, DIG and NHH have measured how customers of Norwegian companies perceive those companies’ capacity for innovation. That perceived capacity is revealed by asking customers directly. It often determines whether customers stay loyal or take their business elsewhere.
Much remains uncertain when we talk about artificial intelligence. We do not know which new business models will emerge. We do not know which competencies will become most valuable in the years ahead, or what the labor market will look like as AI becomes integrated into more processes, products, and decisions.
For PhD Research Scholar Esra Aslan, everyday decisions are often shaped by assumptions people do not even realize they have.
In recent years, servant leadership has become one of the most celebrated leadership styles in business. Leaders who prioritize employee development, support, and empowerment are often assumed to produce both happier teams and better results.
- Active use of AI has increased sevenfold over the past year, says Helene Cappelen, head of the You & AI unit of Gjensidige. Insurance company Gjensidige is one of DIG’s long-term partners. The company has taken major steps forward over the past year in scaling AI across its operations.
While newcomers to working life use AI to increase speed and take on more tasks, seniors use AI for relief and as a sparring partner.
The aging population is often framed as a looming burden—on welfare systems, healthcare, and productivity. Yet this perspective captures only half the story. The same demographic shift is also creating one of the largest and least exploited economic opportunities of our time: the Silver Economy.
Companies invest in diverse leadership teams, yet not all situations benefit from diversity in the same way.
As he approaches the final stage of his PhD, Murat Besili reflects on his journey at DIG. Besili originally comes from a background in data and digitalization, where he has worked on projects that help organizations make better use of data and technology in their operations.
A national survey compiled by research centre DIG in cooperation with Orgbrain and DIG partner KPMG shows that AI is already shaping how Norwegian board members prepare, deliberate, and engage with complex issues.
As AI accelerates, researchers at DIG are investigating how Norwegian organizations can adopt and govern the technology responsibly and effectively.
Over the past year, the pace of change in auditing has accelerated dramatically. For DIG partner and auditing and advisory firm KPMG, artificial intelligence is no longer just a supporting tool. It is becoming an integral part of how audits are planned, performed and delivered.
In response to a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape and an explicit call for closer collaboration between academia and society, NHH has launched a new Security and Resilience Initiative.
This was one of the most telling quotes that our Assistant Professor Jonas Hammerschmidt mentioned when he summed up the findings from a “deep-dive” case study of responsible AI practices in four major Norwegian corporations.
Norwegian consumers want seamless, digital and sustainable solutions that make everyday life easier. Bulder beats all other companies in the Norwegian Innovation Index 2025.**
Earlier this month, Samfunnsøkonomisk Analyse, in collaboration with NHO and our DIG partner Abelia, launched the definitive status report on the use of AI in Norwegian industry.
The NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) will head the upcoming Norwegian research centre “AI for Decisions” (AID). They will work with DIG and use expertise from DIG on AI as an organizational and management challenge.
Some of today’s most significant strategic opportunities remain surprisingly underexplored, a question central to Inger G. Stensaker’s research on strategic change.
Like many other countries, Norway is experiencing a rapidly aging population, which brings both challenges and opportunities across various industries.
Each semester, DIG welcomes a new group of DIG master’s students. This fall, two participants share how the DIG Deeper program shaped their master’s thesis work.
Dear partners, colleagues, and friends of DIG, As we approach the holidays, we mark a small but significant anniversary: this is the fifth time we are sending out our Christmas letter. And while snow appears to be confined to the Norwegian mountains this Christmas, we can look back at a memorable year while also looking forward to an exciting 2026.
The fintech cluster Norwegian Finance Innovation (FI) has been a partner for DIG since the beginning. They stay plugged into DIG’s research to help their members stay on top of industry trends – lately to better assess how the Norwegian finance industry will be affected as AI is adopted throughout the sector.
After several years at NHH and the DIG reserach center, Magne Angelshaug has taken on a new challenge at SNF.
While NHH students remain highly sought-after in the labor market, we are seeing clear signs that the recruitment landscape is changing, particularly for the type of economists, analysts, and advisors we educate.
Start-ups operate in highly uncertain and dynamic environments where emotional processes play a critical role in team dynamics, creativity, and survival.
“This appointment is less about a title and more about responsibility. I have a responsibility to use my experience and voice to make technology useful for people, businesses, and society,” says Liv Dingsør, this year’s DIG Fellow.
We should expect AI to go through the same development as other transformative technologies. First a surge of highly inflated expectations, then the trough of despair, followed by a rise to a plateau of productivity.
Explore the projects turning AI insights into action at this year’s DIG Summit.
In this year’s national budget, artificial intelligence (AI) is given a clear and strategic role as a driver of productivity growth, competitiveness, and welfare. The government highlights AI’s potential to address major societal challenges and to increase efficiency across both private and public sectors.
We are witnessing a time of rapid and profound global change – geopolitical tensions are rising, and trade relations and power balances are shifting.
Nicolas Gibney has been with DIG as a PhD-candidate, and he has now successfully defended his thesis on the formation and growth of ecosystems in the business sector.
Meet the research fellows: As she completes her PhD at NHH, Olivia Kim reflects on her years studying morality, happiness, and decision-making.
The Centre for Extended Working Life was approached by DIG professors Therese Egeland and Inger Stensaker as they wanted to apply to the Norwegian Research Council for a project into the “silver economy”. They have stayed on as a partner since.
This year’s Nobel Prize in Economics, awarded to Joel Mokyr, Philippe Aghion, and Peter Howitt, is a tribute to economists who have illuminated how innovation propels societies forward.
Among the leading companies highlighted in our Norwegian AI report are several promising AI firms, often described as unicorns or unicorns in the making. The unicorn label captures more than just valuation.
DIG recently visited Hanken School of Economics in Helsinki where we brought together our researchers, executives from our partners, and innovation practitioners to explore and learn about future use of AI in business, sustainability, and collaborative innovation.
And test the new technology at the same time. This is how CEO Christian Askvik-Hansen at Prelect explains how and why they work with AI to develop the interaction between physical and digital infrastructure.
Artificial intelligence is evolving faster than most companies can react. Lasse Lien explains what may be Norway’s best path to competitive advantage.
Since 2021, the “Best in Retail” project has developed new knowledge, methods, and roadmaps for the Norwegian retail sector.
Henry Ford didn’t just change how Americans got to work, but how they lived. With the assembly line, he cut the production time for a car from twelve hours to an hour and a half.
DIG have spent the past year focusing on its core areas of expertise and the defined grand challenges, AI for business and the silver economy, and we have made good progress.
In 1960, the American novelist John Steinbeck set out on a road trip with his poodle Charley to rediscover America. USA was going through a period of rapid change at the time, and Steinbeck had failed to keep up. This article was originally posted on Eirik Sjåholm Knudsens own substac / blog: molekyl.no.
The Norwegian Digitalisation Agency (Digdir) works with DIG to stay connected with research groups nationally and internationally. – We need access to the best researchers and a strong network in Norway and internationally in the fields of AI and transformation.
Arendalsuka is one of Norway’s most important arenas for open dialogue across sectors. Each year, politicians, businesses, public institutions, researchers, and civil society come together in Arendal to share ideas, challenge perspectives, and explore how we can shape a better future together.
Research scholar Xiaoguang Wu investigates how sustainability takes root in start-ups, combining sociological theory with data-driven methods at DIG.
DIG Summit program 2025_1706.pdf
DIG Summit program 2025_1706_toppleder.pdf
Since joining NHH in 2007, Professor Karen Modesta Olsen has made her mark as a researcher in human resource management and employment relations.
The Norwegian society is in the midst of a demographic shift, accentuating the need for knowledge on how to extend careers and create new business opportunities.
This was how Professor Jesse Weltevreden summarized the situation when the research center DIG and researchers from Amsterdam presented the first comprehensive mapping of the Norwegian AI landscape.
Are you a pioneer or a skeptic? Four factors are essential for succeeding with AI as an effective workplace tool, according to a new master’s study.
Recorded at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) on 5 May 2025, this conversation brings innovation scholar Professor Tor W. Andreassen (NHH) together with leading marketing and AI authority Professor Roland T. Rust (University of Maryland).
Virke is the main industry and employer association for the retail and services sector in Norway, with members from all parts of the sector. They gain insight, and with it, also more political relevance for their members through DIG.
How can companies move from basic AI use to lasting competitive advantages? By climbing the AI ladder. With Professors Bram Timmermans and Lasse Lien from the research center DIG – Digital Innovation for Growth at the Norwegian School of Economics. The video is in Norwegian.
How will AI change the way we collaborate, and how can we rethink work in an aging society? Researcher Therese Egeland shares her perspectives on the future of teamwork, the value of human interaction, and why demographic shifts could be an opportunity rather than a challenge.
Yes, you read that right. Tor W. Andreassen is turning 70. And as he said when looking at his birth certificate: “I don’t believe it.” Neither do we.
Founder and one of the most prominent professors of DIG, Tor Wallin Andreassen marked his retirement from academia wowing to keep up the habit of a lifetime – writing and sharing insights, thoughts and opinions. A day without writing is a bad day, he said.
Hear Professors Tor Wallin Andreassen of NHH and Mohamed Zaki from the Cambridge Service Alliance in conversation on what the newest AI-agents are all about. The same quest as the early robots – mimicking humans.
Professor Mohamed Zaki, Deputy Director of the Cambridge Service Alliance, recently visited NHH to speak about the future of AI.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is often framed as a technical phenomenon—a matter of algorithms, data pipelines, and computing power. But this framing tells only part of the story.
Our associate professor for strategy and organization at NHH, explores three different research problems from an international business perspective.
"As a leading provider of digital technologies such as 5G, fiber infrastructure, IoT solutions, artificial intelligence, data center services, and cybersecurity, we see how these technologies fundamentally transform both our customers' businesses and our own organization," says Frank Elter, Director of Telenor Research & Innovation (R&I), about the motives for partnering with DIG.
Earlier in March, the DIGDeeper Master’s Thesis Programme Spring 2025 hosted its Skills Seminar, a cornerstone of our commitment to equipping students with advanced research and analytical capabilities.
We are witnessing an era of rapid and far-reaching global change—geopolitical tensions are rising, trade relations are being reshaped, and power balances are constantly in flux.
PhD candidate Erik Lang is looking forward to exploring innovation economics and strategy at DIG, focusing on disruptive technologies and their economic and societal impact.
Christer André Flatøy has spent years studying freelancers and their experiences. His latest project, focusing on the alliance model, explores a unique organizational structure designed to address some of the uncertain conditions freelancers face.
KPMG Norway have two main reasons for their strategic partnership with DIG. – Norway needs to succeed with digital innovation, and KPMG wants to be at the front of that development, says Tormod Voje, Partner and head of technology enablement.
Trust in ChatGPT versus Google and Wikipedia - or A New Future of Information Retrieval?
Based on surveys where a total of 23,000 customers provided their feedback on a wide range of Norwegian companies, the verdict is clear. Tise, with its solution for buying and selling used clothing, is the winner.
The increasing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare holds significant promise, but individuals often prefer a human touch in decision-making, dislike being reduced to a percentage by algorithms and value dignity and respect which may be compromised by AI systems.
The 2024 Norwegian Innovation Index (NII) provides a comprehensive overview of Norway’s innovation landscape, showcasing both accomplishments and challenges.
Just over a year ago, the Norwegian government and the Research Council of Norway launched an AI research initiative by inviting proposals for national AI research centers, with a total budget of 1 billion NOK.
The insurance company Gjensidige is a strategic partner with DIG. We spoke with the company's representative for the partnership with DIG, Simen Aasen Engebretsen, about how they are currently working on the topics DIG is concerned with and how they are using the collaboration.
In August 2025, Helge Thorbjørnsen will assume the role of rector at the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), bringing valuable insights gained from his work at DIG to his new position.
CES 2025 in Las Vegas attracted over 140,000 attendees and 4,000 exhibitors, showcasing how technology addresses sustainability, mobility, healthcare, and accessibility challenges.
2024 was the year artificial intelligence (AI) dominated the media, the stock market, and consumers' daily lives. A search for "artificial intelligence" in Aftenposten yields 1,189 results. Generative AI, such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT, experienced the fastest adoption rate ever. The value of AI companies like Nvidia, Meta, and Alphabet soared.
How do retail experiences influence customers' psychological well-being? A recent study led by Magne Angelshaug and Tor W. Andreassen, seeks to answer this question.
Jonas Hammerschmidt joined the DIG Research Centre in September as an Assistant Professor in Strategy and Management at NHH. Originally from Germany, Jonas brings a combination of academic expertise and professional experience to his new role.
DIG congratulates Lars Arvei Moen with his recent defence of his PhD dissertation on how some corporations achieve digital transformation quicker than others.
The Christmas lights are lit, and even without a single snowflake in sight on the Bergen sky, Christmas is approaching, and it's time for a Christmas letter.
DIG and the Knowledge Center for Longer Working Lives will collaborate on research on how the workforce can facilitate employees staying longer in work, thereby helping to address societal challenges with an aging population.
For centuries, economic growth has been the ultimate measure of progress, grounded in efficiency and profit maximization. However, as environmental crises escalate and social inequalities deepen, this traditional model is no longer sufficient.
Burberry is undergoing a major transformation under CEO Joshua Schulman, shifting from an exclusive “brand elevation” strategy to a model of accessible, functional luxury that respects the brand’s heritage.
