Data centers are an integral part of the digital infrastructure, empowering digital society and digital business as well as facilitating the growth of AI. The importance of data centers to the Finnish economy is growing. It is imperative that Finland can attract investments that create lasting value, sustainable growth and thousands of jobs for a wide range of educational backgrounds.
The data center sector is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Finland needs investments worth of billions of euros, and has great potential for energy-efficient industries. There are already investment decisions worth 9 billion euros in data centers in Finland (EK: Green investments in Finland) According to our estimate, this is the equivalent of the economic impact of 9–15 ocean liners. Data centers remain in Finland, generating annual service export of 1–4 billion euros. In 2024, Finland’s export decreased by 5,5%, approx. 3 billion euros. The aforementioned data center investments alone could gear Finland’s export up for years to come.
A sustainable data center is linked to the surrounding infrastructure also by providing heat reusage and by supporting the stability of the grid with back-up power capabilities. The Finnish Data Center Association (FDCA) aims to secure the growth opportunities of the data center sector and to guide its member organisations and other stakeholders in developing energy-efficient and sustainable data center solutions. Sustainable data center industry players are investing in long-term development, clean energy production, energy storage and waste heat recovery. This not only minimizes the environmental impact, but also provides stable and diverse revenue streams to Finland.
The world needs data centers that empower the digital society. Now is Finland’s chance to attract large investments and build an energy-efficient, world-class infrastructure, let’s do it wisely and sustainably.
Finnish Data Center Association FDCA, Board of Directors