Google commits €13 billion to four Finnish AI and data-centre locations

Google’s largest European investment

Google has announced at least €13 billion of spending on data centres and supporting digital infrastructure in Finland over the next two years. The programme, described as the company’s largest single investment in Europe, covers facilities in Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala as well as clean-energy projects and local programmes involving biodiversity, education, research and workforce development.

Construction is planned across 2027 and 2028. Google estimates that the programme could add €3.6 billion annually to Finland’s economy and support more than 37,000 jobs during the investment phase, including roughly 16,000 construction positions. Once construction subsides, it projects approximately 7,000 jobs a year across operations, suppliers and surrounding services.

Finland’s power and climate advantage

The locations combine cool weather with comparatively stable electricity supplied by nuclear, wind and hydro generation. Those conditions reduce cooling costs for energy-intensive computing facilities. Google has operated in Hamina since converting a former paper mill after purchasing the site in 2009, giving it an established base from which to expand its European computing footprint.

The new centres will support Google services including its Gemini artificial-intelligence systems. Finland is also hosting the EU-backed LUMI AI Factory ecosystem in Kajaani. On August 31, the European High Performance Computing Joint Undertaking signed a separate contract for an AI-optimised LUMI-AI supercomputer expected to become available in 2027.

Economic opportunity brings infrastructure pressure

For Finland, the announcement offers investment and employment during a period of weak growth and high unemployment. It also strengthens the country’s position in Europe’s competition for AI capacity. The scale will place additional demands on electricity networks, construction labour, water management and local planning, making implementation and energy sourcing as important as the headline commitment.

The next milestones are local permits, confirmed construction schedules and disclosure of power-purchase and grid arrangements for each municipality. Officials and communities will also scrutinise whether projected long-term employment materialises after the building phase. The investment’s strategic value will ultimately depend on integrating the sites into Finland’s research, skills and clean-energy systems without displacing other industrial electricity demand.