On the occasion of the official visit of Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, a business delegation from MEDEF (the Movement of the Enterprises of France) and representatives from Ardian France and Thales Group visited Iceland. The objective of the visit was to strengthen ties between Icelandic and French companies, establish a platform for increased cooperation, and showcase the opportunities that Iceland has to offer.

The delegation began its visit at Verne Global, where CEO Styrmir Hafliðason, alongside Mathias Burghardt, CEO of Ardian France, presented the company’s operations and guided the guests on a tour of the data center. Following this, the delegation visited Business Iceland (Íslandsstofa). There, Pétur Óskarsson, CEO of Business Iceland, outlined the organization's goals; Karl Guðmundsson, Project Manager of Major Investments at the Prime Minister's Office, reviewed investments and key markets; and Óli Örn Eiríksson introduced the new infrastructure company Göng&Brú. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, then hosted a reception at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, providing an opportunity for representatives of the Icelandic business community and the French delegation to discuss cooperation and strengthen connections.

The visit continued to Hellisheiði, where Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir, CEO of Carbfix, Sævar Freyr Þráinsson, CEO of Reykjavik Energy (Orkuveita Reykjavíkur), and Ingunn Gunnarsdóttir, Innovation Leader at ON Power (Orka náttúrunnar), presented projects in the fields of energy and sustainable solutions.

On the second day of the visit, the delegation held a meeting at Alþingi (the Icelandic Parliament) with MPs from various political parties to discuss the current status and future outlook for Iceland and France. Kolbeinn Árnason, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs, also welcomed the guests. Next, Bjarni Benediktsson, Director General of the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA), warmly received the delegation. Business matters concerning France and Iceland were discussed, along with opportunities for further strengthening bilateral trade relations. Þorsteinn Víglundsson, Chairman of the Federation of Icelandic Industries (SI), Lilja Björk Guðmundsdóttir, Chief Legal Counsel at SI, Sigríður Mogensen, Director of Industry and Intellectual Property at SI, and Freyr Friðfinnsson, Business Development Manager at SI, also engaged in discussions with the delegation. The visit concluded with a presentation at the Blue Lagoon, where Helga Árnadóttir spoke about the company’s operations, development, and future vision.

The French delegation's visit was highly successful and underscores the growing interest in cooperation between Iceland and France. Such collaboration and dialogue form an important foundation for the ongoing development of trade relations between the nations. The French-Icelandic Chamber of Commerce extends its gratitude to all the companies, institutions, and individuals who helped make this visit both successful and memorable.

Berglind Guðmundsdóttir
Chair of the French-Icelandic Chamber of Commerce