Google to invest 13 billion euros in AI in Finland

Google will invest at least 13 billion euros in Finland over the years 2027 and 2028 to strengthen its digital and energy infrastructures related to artificial intelligence, the company announced on Wednesday, 9 September.

The operation, described by the company as its largest single investment in Europe, is intended to support its Gemini, Search, Maps, and YouTube services.

The program involves data centers and associated infrastructures in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala. According to Google, the project is expected to support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide during its initial construction phase and contribute on average 3.6 billion euros per year to Finland’s gross domestic product over this period.

Once the new facilities are fully operational, the group estimates they could support around 7,000 jobs annually, directly or within the supply and service chain. Reuters reports that Finland is increasingly attracting data center operators thanks to its cold climate and abundant low-carbon electricity, two factors that reduce cooling costs and facilitate the energy goals of major tech companies.

The investment is part of a much broader acceleration in spending by Alphabet, Google’s parent company, to meet rising demand for computing power. The group raised its global investment forecast this year to a range between 195 and 205 billion dollars.

In Finland, Google is linking the expansion of its computing capacities to several energy projects. The company has notably signed a 22-year agreement to support the extension of the Loviisa nuclear power plant’s lifespan, plans new wind power purchase contracts, and has reserved a 94 megawatt battery system intended to enhance grid stability.

A bet on the Finnish digital ecosystem

Google has been present in Hamina for fifteen years, where the company transformed a former paper mill into a data center. The new program aims to expand this site and create new capacities in the north of the country, while relying on local electrical infrastructures.

The group also plans 31 million euros for community programs in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala over four years. Part of these funds will finance AI training initiatives for more than 4,400 workers as well as dedicated pathways for data center professions for about a hundred Finnish students.

The Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo praised the decision, which he said confirms the country’s strengths in the digital economy. Google, for its part, says it wants to combine the increase in its computing capacities with new energy capacities, investments in the grid, and training programs.