The prestigious Nordic DAIR Awards has officially unveiled its 2026 Organisation Categories, highlighting the enterprises and public bodies leading the charge in data and artificial intelligence.
In a departure from popular-vote formats, the Organisation Categories will be decided exclusively by an expert jury. No public voting will take place for these honors, with the winners set to be revealed during the gala ceremony on May 7th.
Here is a breakdown of the 2026 categories:
Data and AI Transformation Excellence Award
This flagship award honors large-scale transformations. It targets organizations that have successfully aligned their people, strategy, and technology to embed AI into their core culture. The winner must prove long-term results and set a benchmark for data-driven leadership across the Nordics.
The nominees for this year’s Data and AI Transformation Excellence Award are Fintraffic, PostNord Group, Novo Nordisk, TRATON Financial Services, Epiroc, Sveriges Riksbank, DeLaval International, Skatteetaten, Lomax A/S, and Íslandsbanki.
Sector-Specific Business Excellence
AI-Driven Business Excellence Award (Private Sector)
Reserved for companies that have translated AI innovation into a competitive edge. Criteria include measurable outcomes like increased efficiency, accelerated growth, and enhanced customer experiences.
Laerdal Medical AS, Frende Forsikring, Novo Nordisk, CCP Games, Ørsted, Boliden, and Lomax A/S have been nominated for the AI-Driven Business Excellence Award in the private sector.
AI-Driven Business Excellence Award (Public Sector)
This category highlights social impact. It honors public organizations using AI to improve citizen engagement, increase transparency, and streamline public services through responsible and strategic innovation.
These categories recognize the practical application of AI to drive value, divided by the unique demands of the private and public sectors.
The public sector nominees for the AI-Driven Business Excellence Award include the Norwegian Public Roads Administration (Statens vegvesen), Sveriges Riksbank, and Skatteetaten.
These awards focus on the “big picture” and how organizations are rewiring their DNA to become data-first entities.
Infrastructure & Technical Breakthroughs
Data Management Innovation Award
Sponsored by RELTIO, this award focuses on the backbone of AI: the data itself. It recognizes novel approaches to data governance, architecture, and lifecycle management that improve data quality and trust.
Recognized for the Data Management Innovation Award are Fintraffic, PostNord Group, TRATON Financial Services, and DeLaval International.
Technical AI Innovation of the Year
This award is for the trailblazers. It recognizes a company or startup that has developed a technically novel AI model, framework, or process. To win, the innovation must have moved beyond the lab to become a recognized industry standard.
Nominees in this category include Frende Forsikring, CCP Games, Nextory AB, Ørsted, Boliden, Nordea, and Saab AB.
With the event co-hosted by HP, these awards recognize the foundational and experimental side of the industry.
Key Date: Winners will be announced on May 7th, 2026. Keep an eye on the Nordic DAIR Awards platform for further updates on the jury panel and finalists.
Find out more about how to vote and the specific categories on 2026 Nordic DAIR Awards.
