Nokia’s premises in Espoo. Photo: Markku Ulander / Lehtikuva
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The Finnish government has formally backed a proposal led by Nokia to establish one of the European Union’s planned AI gigafactories in Finland.
The move follows the European Commission’s launch of the InvestAI initiative, aimed at generating €200 billion in investments in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing. The programme includes building up to five AI gigafactories across EU Member States.
Nokia, leading a business consortium, submitted its expression of interest to the Commission earlier this year. The Finnish government has confirmed its support for the bid.
The proposed AI gigafactory would operate as a large-scale infrastructure hub, developing, training, and deploying advanced AI models. Under preliminary plans, private partners would cover around 65 percent of the investment and all operational costs.
The government said it views the project as an opportunity to promote sustainable economic growth, technological advancement, and investment within Finland. It cited Finland’s expertise in data, research, startups, and emerging fields such as quantum technology as a strong foundation for leading in AI development.
Finland’s clean energy network and land availability were also noted as factors making it a viable location for an AI gigafactory. The country already hosts LUMI, one of Europe’s early AI-focused computing facilities, and government officials believe the new gigafactory could cooperate with LUMI.
The initiative is intended to be commercially driven and aligned with broader strategic goals for both the EU and national governments. The full call for proposals is expected to be published by the Commission later in 2025.
A total of 76 applicants submitted expressions of interest across Europe. These applications remain confidential.
The Finnish government stated it is open to regional partnerships in shaping the next phase of the gigafactory proposal, including collaboration with Nordic and Baltic states. Talks with the Commission and selected applicants are set to begin soon.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
