‘We want to take back 50 per cent of the devices we sell’: Hege Støre on Advania’s green goals

The VAR’s CEO talks circular IT, VAR model and AI adoption

Beyond acquisitions and expansion, three strategic bets, AI, cyber resilience and total lifecycle management, will be driving Advania’s evolution, CEO Hege Støre tells CRN.

While AI dominates industry conversations, it is total lifecycle management that represents one of the company’s most ambitious targets.

Advania’s circular IT ambitions

“Out of all the devices we sell, we want to take back 50 per cent and resell them as reused devices by 2030,” explains Støre.

This goal forms part of Advania’s circular IT strategy, which includes plans to establish a refurbishment centre in the UK from the beginning of 2028.

The company already operates the “Dreamhouse”, a 10,000-square-metre refurbishment facility in Stockholm capable of processing around one million devices every year.

The organisation now plans to replicate that capability in the UK from the beginning of 2028.

According to Støre, that decision followed research showing the market was more mature than initially expected.

“I actually thought the UK was less mature, but we did a big project with McKinsey here and realised the UK is more mature than we thought,” she says.

“That’s why we decided we need a business plan here.”

Converging priorities

For Støre, the country plans demonstrate how Advania’s three strategic priorities increasingly intersect, with AI, cyber resilience and lifecycle management all help customers extract greater long-term value from their tech investments while boosting the reseller’s role as a long-term strategic partner.

The company is investing in AI platform infrastructure while developing tools designed to help customers securely use data, implement governance and deploy AI technologies responsibly.

Støre says customers are increasingly looking for guidance rather than simply new technology.

“We are in the mid-market with 30,000 customers, and everyone is discussing the same topics: AI, data security, governance,” she says.

“They want advice; how to use data securely, how to use AI.”

Putting AI into practice

Advania is also applying AI across its own organisation.

Støre says the company has introduced financial targets around AI adoption while encouraging employees to integrate tools such as Microsoft Copilot and Claude into their daily work.

“We are using tools like Copilot and Claude ourselves, and I can see how much more effective I am working now compared to before,” she says.

The business has also introduced weekly 30-minute knowledge-sharing sessions where employees share practical AI use cases with colleagues.

“You always get ideas from colleagues, and that has had a huge impact on how I use AI.”

Støre believes those experiences also strengthen Advania’s ability to advise customers as they begin their own AI journeys.

Beyond the traditional VAR

According to Støre, Advania’s strategic priorities reflect a broader transformation of the business itself.

Rather than relying primarily on product sales, the company now operates across three core revenue streams: products and licensing, managed services and consulting.

“When you define us as a VAR you don’t really see the full picture,” she says.

“For us, it’s very seldom we just sell products to customers. We are often delivering services as well.”

That strategy reflects changing buying behaviour across the mid-market, where organisations are increasingly looking for a single technology partner capable of delivering products, services and consultancy.

Støre notes that around 89 per cent of mid-market customers now prefer buying from one partner, with Advania currently serving close to 30,000 customers across its markets.

Customer retention remains central to that approach.

“The most important thing for us is that existing customers stay, and that we are able to bring more value to them so they will invest more in technology from us.

“Customer satisfaction is extremely important.”