Google Commits Record $15 Billion to Expand AI Infrastructure in Finland

Google plans to invest at least 13 billion euros, or about $15.1 billion, in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure in Finland over the next two years.

The funding will be Google’s largest single investment in Europe, the company said on Wednesday.

The money will fund data centers, supporting infrastructure, and clean-energy projects spanning four locations: Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos, and Vaala.

Google already operates a major data center in Hamina on Finland’s southern coast. It was converted from a former paper mill that the company bought in 2009.

The new investment will expand Google’s existing operations in Hamina while developing infrastructure at the three other locations. Those sites will help power services such as Google Search, Gemini, Maps, and YouTube.

As part of the build-out, Google is also allocating funds to “new energy capacity, grid enhancements, and energy affordability initiatives,” Ruth Porat, president and chief investment officer of Alphabet and Google, said in a statement.

Regional AI Goals

Google’s investment aligns with Finnish President Alexander Stubb’s campaign to make artificial intelligence a pillar of his country’s economic competitiveness.

“Our strengths include information networks, quantum technology and critical minerals,” Stubb said in his New Year’s address in January. “These lie at the heart of the technological revolution: artificial intelligence.”

Google said the new projects would give a “timely momentum” to Finland’s economy.

During construction in 2027 and 2028, the investment is expected to contribute an average of 3.6 billion euros (about $4.1 billion) a year to Finland’s gross domestic product and support more than 37,000 jobs nationwide. About 16,000 of those jobs are expected to be in construction.

Once the facilities are operational, Google estimates they will support about 7,000 jobs annually. Those include jobs at the facilities themselves, as well as jobs at suppliers and other businesses serving employees and surrounding communities.

Google is not the first U.S. tech giant to pour billions of dollars into European AI data centers and supporting infrastructure.

In March, Amazon increased its planned investment in Spain to 33.7 billion euros (about $39.8 billion) through 2035. The company said the money will be used to expand its data-center infrastructure and support cloud and AI services across Europe.

Microsoft, meanwhile, announced last September that it would invest $30 billion to support AI infrastructure and ongoing operations in the United Kingdom from 2025 through 2028.

The investment would support the construction of the country’s “largest supercomputer,” with more than 23,000 advanced graphics processing units, Microsoft said.