“For several years, Norconsult has been investing in digitalisation, IT security and artificial intelligence, and in recent months, this development has accelerated. We have built three proprietary AI platforms that are now being used in client projects, NORA, Norconsult Extend and AnimalFarm,” says Egil Hogna, CEO of Norconsult.
These solutions support different parts of the project lifecycle – from search and knowledge management to tasks integrated directly within engineering tools and parametric design. The aim is to make work processes more efficient, enhance quality and deliver more value to clients.
“We are now moving from isolated pilots to quality-assured AI platforms that are fully integrated into project delivery. This allows us to explore a wider range of alternatives, strengthen the quality of our work and give clients a stronger basis for decision-making,”
Marius Sekse (left), Head of Digital Transformation of Norconsult, and Egil Hogna, CEO of Norconsult.
Norconsult is placing strong emphasis on competence development – and, crucially, on ensuring that its employees use artificial intelligence responsibly and securely. The company’s experts remain accountable for the quality of deliverables, even when using AI tools. Norconsult’s internal framework covers key areas such as security and data privacy, ethics and transparency, professional competence, and quality assurance.
An increasing share of Norconsult’s 7,200 employees now works with the company’s AI platforms, combining them with technologies and expertise from leading international partners and innovative technology communities to deliver value in client projects.
Norconsult expects that an ever-increasing share of design and engineering work can be automated.
“For us, artificial intelligence is first and foremost about combining technology with Norconsult’s deep technical expertise. When we use AI alongside our professional knowledge, data and in-house tools within environments where data security is safeguarded, we can work smarter, explore more alternatives and focus more of our time on the complex professional judgements that truly create client value,” says Egil Hogna, CEO of Norconsult.
In addition to taking significant steps in the use of AI, including the development of powerful proprietary solutions, Norconsult’s subsidiary, Norconsult Digital, also provides advanced AI competence to stakeholders in real estate and infrastructure.
Norconsult Extend connects artificial intelligence directly to Norconsult’s engineering tools, enabling consultants to tailor and control AI across all their tasks. The platform represents a breakthrough in how Norconsult uses AI to improve and streamline existing processes at scale.
With Extend, consultants can apply AI to design work, process data, automate repetitive tasks and even build their own digital tools through natural interaction without needing programming expertise. The professionals themselves remain in full control, guiding the AI with their technical insight and experience, while new solutions are shared, reused and continuously refined across the organisation.
The platform’s modular and open architecture ensures that Norconsult can adopt the most advanced AI technologies as they become available, without dependence on specific suppliers. All AI-related work takes place within Norconsult’s secure environment, ensuring that client and project data are handled safely.
NORA integrates artificial intelligence with Norconsult’s internal sources of knowledge. The platform can utilise project-specific and discipline-specific documentation to develop purpose-built AI assistants and is being continually expanded with new agents and tools tailored to different professional areas and project types. For consultants, this means faster access to relevant, verifiable information – saving time and providing a stronger foundation for design work and decision-making.
Project-specific NORA solutions are also being developed in areas where the platform sees frequent use and creates clear value. One example is the Arna–Stanghelle Joint Project (FAS) – a new E16 road and railway route between Bergen and Voss. Here, the platform has been customised to the project’s needs, enabling team members to search and work efficiently across large volumes of project data.
AnimalFarm, originally developed using expertise and technology from Aas‑Jakobsen, enables more efficient design of complex infrastructure projects through automation and methodological reuse. The technology facilitates the early development of precise solutions and allows engineers to explore a wider range of design alternatives.
In AnimalFarm, key design parameters and engineering rules are defined within the system. These are used to automatically generate and update models. When underlying assumptions change, the models can be revised without the need for manual remodelling. A shared structure for design data enables reuse across disciplines, improves coherence between specialist models, enhances model quality and reduces the risk of errors.
This approach also provides a strong foundation for applying AI to interpret information and explore options through parameter control. AI becomes an active collaborator in evaluating alternatives, while the rule-based computational engine ensures that models are developed according to defined and verifiable principles.
For further information, please contact:
Henrik Charlesen, Head of External Communications, Henrik.Charlesen@norconsult.com
About Norconsult
Norconsult is a leading pan-Nordic interdisciplinary consulting firm combining engineering, architecture and digital expertise across projects of all sizes, for private and public clients in infrastructure, energy and industry, buildings and architecture. Headquartered in Sandvika, Norway, Norconsult’s delivery model is centred around knowledge hubs and local presence through approximately 7,200 employees across more than 140 offices in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland, Poland and Finland.