July 12, 2026 – Finnish AI Region

Nokia-led consortium eyes Oulu for EU-backed AI “gigafactory” — but company hasn’t confirmed the location

by Martti Asikainen
July 12, 2026July 12, 2026

A Nokia-led business consortium is pursuing a multi-billion-euro artificial intelligence data centre under the European Commission’s InvestAI programme, with the northern Finnish city of Oulu reportedly the preferred site. Nokia confirms the project but not its location, according to Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

Chess piece lies on the board showing defeat in a game played at home during the evening

The winners of the AI bubble may not be who we think

by Martti Asikainen
July 12, 2026July 13, 2026

The prevailing assumption in AI discourse is that the biggest winners will be the companies that integrate AI most deeply into their products. The more agents, the stronger the competitive advantage. This assumption may well prove wrong, if we look at the broader history of technology.