In this episode, Tasha Josefsson speaks with Thomas Nygaard about the story behind Eelume, Norway’s approach to dual-use technology, and what meaningful collaboration actually looks like in practice.

The conversation explores how Eelume bridges commercial and defence requirements, why subsea and maritime autonomy demand long-term trust rather than quick wins, and how Norwegian industry, academia, and government interact differently from larger defence markets. Thomas also reflects on partnerships, working across borders, and the realities of scaling advanced robotics into sensitive operational environments.

Rather than focusing on hype or market optimism, this episode looks at the structural conditions that make dual-use technology succeed or stall, and what other SMEs can realistically learn from Norway’s ecosystem.

A thoughtful discussion for anyone working in maritime, autonomy, dual-use technology, or trying to understand how smaller defence nations build credible, exportable capability without losing control of their technology.