AGP Executive Report

Research Talent: A US marine scientist has moved to the University of Helsinki, joining researchers who say funding cuts and political pressure are pushing top scientists abroad. Data Center Debate: Finland’s rapid data-center expansion is drawing scrutiny: one report counts 150–200 proposed projects and says Google’s construction site stalled after forest clearance began before required permits and an environmental assessment were secured. Space Security: Russia’s Kosmos 2612 maneuvered close to ICEYE-X36, a Finnish-founded radar-imaging satellite that has supported Ukraine; specialists say the satellite’s intentions remain unclear. Food Tech: Solar Foods has joined the Deep Space Food Consortium, bringing its gas-fermentation protein technology into efforts to develop food production for space and other places where conventional farming is difficult. Clean Energy Research: LUT University researchers say oil- and gas-producing countries can expand renewables at home, freeing more fossil fuels for export while cutting domestic emissions.

Finnish Health Research: A study of more than 5,600 Northern Finland Birth Cohort participants found evening-oriented workers had a higher risk of disability pension than morning types; the link weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Other Finnish research linked earlier menopause with more anxiety and depressive symptoms. A study of young people referred to gender identity services found specialist psychiatric care remained common after referral, but cannot establish that treatment caused the trend. Space and Security: A Russian satellite reportedly maneuvered to within a few kilometres of ICEYE-X36, a radar-imaging satellite providing data to Ukraine. Tech and Industry: Ubisoft is reportedly planning to close Finnish game studio RedLynx amid wider cuts. Wärtsilä added Viking XPRS to its service programme, supporting the ferry on the Helsinki–Tallinn route. International Partnerships: Finland and Vietnam are pursuing cooperation in data centres, clean technology, energy and telecoms. Finland also plans to launch mobile emergency alerts in November.

Finnish Health Research: A 12-year study of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort found evening-oriented workers had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension compared with morning types. The link weakened after researchers accounted for health and work schedules, and the observational findings do not show cause and effect. Game Industry: Ubisoft is reportedly planning to close Helsinki-based RedLynx, the studio behind the Trials series, amid cuts affecting up to 122 jobs across several teams. Wood-Based Industry: Finnish company UPM has opened a €1.37 billion biorefinery in Germany, using wood and sawmill residues to make renewable chemicals for products including packaging, textiles and tyres. EU Energy Policy: Finland, Denmark and Sweden opposed calls at the Brussels summit to loosen carbon-pricing rules, warning that weakening the emissions trading system could deter investment in cleaner technologies.

Bio-based Industry: Finnish company UPM has opened a €1.37bn wood-based biorefinery in Germany. The plant can produce 220,000 tonnes of renewable chemicals a year from wood and sawmill residues, offering industry an alternative to fossil-based materials. Finnish Health Research: A study of more than 5,600 people in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort found evening-oriented adults had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years. The observational finding weakened after researchers accounted for health and work schedules. Public Safety Technology: Finland plans to introduce a mobile phone emergency alert system in November. AI and Quantum: Finland and Singapore are deepening cooperation in AI and quantum technology, part of wider efforts to build research and technology links.

Work and Health: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort study found evening-oriented adults had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years, though the link weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Space Research: University of Oulu scientists found that “space waves” at Earth’s magnetic boundary shift with the solar wind, a finding that could help improve forecasts of solar-storm risks to satellites and power grids. Renewable Energy: Construction has begun on two Finnish solar farms with a combined capacity of 108.2 MWp; both are targeted to start operating in spring 2027. Industrial Technology: Espoo-based Addcomposites has released four free online courses on composite design and manufacturing, with interactive simulations and certificates. Defence Innovation: Finnish companies joined a Canadian counter-drone technology trial, showcasing detection and interception systems to military observers.

Work and Health: A study of more than 5,600 people in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort found evening types had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years. The link weakened after researchers accounted for health and work schedules. Family Research: Across 299 Finnish municipalities, stronger reported social support and more contact beyond the household were associated with higher fertility rates; the study does not show that social ties cause people to have children. Solar Power: Construction has begun on two Finnish solar projects with a combined capacity of 108.2 MWp. They are targeted to start operating in spring 2027, with about €9.1 million in EU support. Renewable Gas: P2X Solutions has begun feeding renewable e-methane into Finland’s gas network. Gasgrid issued the country’s first guarantees of origin for the fuel, enabling customers to verify its renewable source. Emergency Technology: Finland plans to introduce a mobile-phone emergency alert system in November.

Finnish Research: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort study found evening-oriented adults had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years. The observational link weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Emergency Alerts: Finland will launch FI-Alert in November, sending area-specific warnings straight to mobile phones without an app or personal data. AI and Telecoms: Vietnam is seeking Finnish expertise for low-emission data centres, while Nokia discussed private 5G and secure communications with Vietnam’s security minister; no contracts were announced. Bee Science: University of Oulu researcher Heikki Helanterä argues a honey bee colony can be understood as a single organism, a view that could challenge common beekeeping practices. Nuclear Dispute: An international tribunal found Fennovoima was not entitled to terminate its Hanhikivi 1 construction contract with Rosatom in 2022; the cancelled project has no active construction schedule. Finnish Tech: AI sales firm Optivian is expanding into the UK and Ireland, with a London team and Dublin coverage planned for November.

Finnish Health Research: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort study found evening-oriented workers had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years; the link weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Gaming Industry: Ubisoft has proposed closing Finland’s RedLynx studio, potentially affecting 52 jobs; the move is subject to negotiations. Clean Steel: SSAB and the University of Oulu are investing €40 million in research on lower-carbon steelmaking, including electric furnaces and advanced materials. Industrial Growth: Finnish gearbox maker Katsa is building a Pirkkala facility, aiming to double assembly capacity by 2028. Finnish Exports: Marine Alutech won a German Navy order for 15 Watercat combat boats, with deliveries scheduled for 2029–31. Biomaterials: CH-Bioforce’s Finnish oat-husk ingredient, designed as a renewable alternative to styling polymers, won a European beauty innovation award.

AI and Recycling: Helsinki startup Ambio raised €5.1 million to build an AI platform for sourcing and trading recycled plastics, targeting a fragmented market where quality and supply are hard to verify. Finnish Research: A study of the Northern Finland Birth Cohort found evening-oriented workers had nearly 1.7 times the disability-pension risk of morning types over 12 years, though the association weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Health: University of Helsinki researcher Markus Haapanen co-led a study linking hospital delirium in older adults with higher later rates of psychotic and bipolar disorders; the findings suggest the effects may outlast the acute illness. Nokia: The company sold its enterprise campus-edge business to private-equity firm Aurelius, but two other underperforming units remain up for sale. Data Centres: Finland ordered work halted at two Google data-centre sites amid scrutiny of forest clearance. Biotech: Finnish allergy-treatment developer Desentum secured €28 million to advance its immunotherapy work.

Fintech: Kraken parent Payward agreed to buy Finnish holding company Saldo Finance, which owns a Lithuanian-licensed bank, expanding its push into European banking pending regulatory approval. Industrial Tech: ABB and Boliden connected new Ethernet-based instruments to the existing control system at Boliden’s Kokkola zinc plant, adding device diagnostics without replacing established equipment. AI and Quantum: Finland and Singapore are deepening cooperation on AI and quantum technology; Finland’s Foreign Ministry is also piloting AI to process classified information. Health Research: A Finnish study found depression, vertigo and headaches were more common in the five years before early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnoses, while University of Oulu researchers linked poor oral health to jawbone necrosis risk in breast cancer patients receiving bone-protecting drugs. Data Centres: Finland has ordered work to stop at two Google data centre sites, amid scrutiny of forest clearance. Manufacturing: Finnish gearbox maker Katsa is building a new Pirkkala assembly plant, aiming to double capacity by 2028 as demand rises.

Data-Centre Scrutiny: Google Finland chief Antti Järvinen apologised for forest clearance at data-centre sites in Muhos and Kajaani, where about 530 hectares have been cleared. Authorities have ordered work to stop. The controversy shadows Google’s planned €13 billion investment in Finland, which includes a long-term power deal with Fortum’s Loviisa nuclear plant. Secure AI: Finland’s Foreign Ministry has begun piloting UMAI, an AI assistant designed to handle classified information in a secure environment, with the aim of informing a shared platform for government. Biotech Funding: Finnish allergy-treatment company Desentum has secured €28 million to accelerate development of its immunotherapy treatments. Alzheimer’s Research: A study drawing on Finnish memory-clinic and national health-register data found that people later diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s had more health problems in the 15 years before diagnosis than comparison groups.

Secure Government AI: Finland’s Foreign Ministry has begun piloting UMAI, a secure assistant designed to process classified information, with the government ICT centre Valtori helping develop a platform for public agencies. Industry Tech: Kesko is upgrading grocery logistics with cloud-based warehouse software and AI tools. Nokia, meanwhile, is selling its Enterprise Campus Edge unit to Aurelius, with the deal expected to close in 2027. Health Research: A study of more than 5,600 Northern Finland Birth Cohort members linked evening-type body clocks to higher disability-pension risk, though the association weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. Researchers from Finnish universities also found that early-onset Alzheimer’s patients may experience other health problems years before diagnosis. Population Health: THL is developing nationwide support for family and childbirth preparation as Finland’s fertility rate remains historically low. Data-Centre Pressures: A Finnish regulator has halted work on two Google data centres over deforestation violations, highlighting the environmental challenges facing the country’s AI infrastructure ambitions.

AI and Quantum: Finland and Singapore agreed to deepen cooperation on AI, quantum technologies and digital infrastructure, with a shared focus on responsible AI and making its benefits widely accessible. Data-Centre Oversight: Finland halted work on two planned Google data centres over alleged forest-clearance violations, putting environmental rules at the centre of a major tech investment. Telecoms: Nokia plans to sell its Enterprise Campus Edge business to AURELIUS; the unit serves nearly 900 industrial customers. Telia, meanwhile, plans 900 job cuts, including 280 in Finland. Biotech: Finnish allergy-treatment company Desentum secured €28 million to speed development of its immunotherapy. Work and Health: A study tracking more than 5,600 people in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort linked evening chronotypes to a higher risk of disability pension, though the association weakened after accounting for health and work schedules.

Work and Health: A Northern Finland Birth Cohort study found evening types had a higher risk of disability pension than morning types, though the link weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. AI Infrastructure: Finland has halted work on two Google data centres over alleged deforestation violations, while French firm Sesterce is proposing a €10 billion AI computing campus at an old industrial site. Telecoms: Telia plans to cut 280 jobs in Finland as part of 900 layoffs across its Nordic and Baltic markets, targeting €89 million in annual savings. Nokia, meanwhile, is entering the AI-RAN market with GPUs and launching a flexible fibre-broadband system. Biotech: Finnish allergy company Desentum raised €28 million to accelerate its immunotherapy work. Marine Technology: Steerprop won a contract to equip three Danish Navy environmental vessels with propulsion systems designed for year-round Nordic operations.

Biotech: Finnish startup Desentum raised €28 million to develop faster allergy immunotherapy. In a small Phase 1 trial, 10 weekly injections triggered allergy-blocking antibodies; whether they reduce symptoms remains to be tested. Telecom: Nokia is betting on Nvidia GPUs for future AI-ready mobile networks, while its new fiber line card supports speeds up to 50 Gbps and is planned for 2027. Energy Storage: Finnish firm Valo will supply batteries and software for a 400 MW project in Australia, one of two large battery projects moving toward construction. Health Research: A Northern Finland cohort study linked evening chronotypes with higher disability-pension risk, but the association weakened after accounting for health and work schedules. AI Infrastructure: Sesterce has proposed a €10 billion Finnish AI campus, as environmental scrutiny grows after Google was ordered to halt data-center site work over alleged forest damage.

Finnish Health Research: A study of more than 5,600 people in the Northern Finland Birth Cohort found evening-oriented workers had nearly 1.7 times the risk of disability pension as morning types over 12 years; the observational findings do not establish cause. Secure Communications: Nokia and Finnish satellite firm ICEYE are developing government and defence communications systems, with the first satellites planned for launch in 2028. Data-Centre Pushback: Finland’s regulator has halted Google’s data-centre site work over alleged forest damage, underscoring the environmental checks facing major AI projects. AI Infrastructure: French firm Sesterce proposes investing up to €10 billion in a Finnish AI computing campus with capacity of up to 600 megawatts. Energy Storage: Nala Renewables is building a 250-megawatt-hour battery project in Finland, while Olana Energy has connected two batteries to the distribution network.