Kainuu – Nordic Supercomputing Hotbed
Kainuu’s most significant growth industry is the data centre ecosystem, centered on the Renforsin Ranta Business Park, formerly a UPM paper mill until its closure in 2008. Since then, Kajaani has emerged as an internationally significant location for data centers and a key player in the field of high-performance computing (HPC).
Kajaani’s first anchor case was the Finnish government’s CSC – IT Centre for Science, who have built a high technology, low carbon footprint data centre to house its two national supercomputers.
This was followed by Herman IT (colocation and capacity service provider) operating a high performance and cost-effective modular data centre. In February 2024, Icelandic Borealis Data Center announced the acquisition and subsequent AI/HPC expansion of the Herman IT Kajaani Data Center.
In January 2025, XTX Markets announced their plans to invest in Kajaani and to develop a state-of-the-art data centre complex in an proximity of Renforsin Ranta business park. The construction of its first data centre is to be completed in 2026, and the company intends to build four additional data centres on the same site in the coming years.
In November 2024, Google announced of buying a total of 1 400 hectares of land in Kajaani in Kainuu and Muhos in neighboring Northern Ostrobothnia to expand its cloud and data centre infrastructure in Finland.
High-Performance Computing and AI
In June 2019 EuroHPC Joint Undertaking decided to place one of the pre-exascale supercomputers (LUMI) to CSC’s data centre in Kajaani. The supercomputer is hosted by the LUMI consortium. The LUMI (Large Unified Modern Infrastructure) consortium countries are Finland, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, and Switzerland. LUMI is one of the world’s best-known scientific instruments for the lifespan of 2021–2027.
In December 2024, it was announced that the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking had selected the hosting sites for the next EuroHPC supercomputers and AI Factories. One of the selected sites is the LUMI AI Factory supported by a consortium led by CSC. The consortium consists of the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Poland. In the beginning, the LUMI AI Factory will leverage the power of the LUMI supercomputer, that will gradually be replaced by a new AI-focused supercomputer called LUMI-AI. This system will leverage a large, accelerated partition utilising next-generation GPUs.
The LUMI-AI computing environment will be complemented by an experimental quantum computing platform named LUMI-IQ, designed for workloads combining quantum computing and artificial intelligence. This one-of-a-kind platform will open completely new horizons for research. LUMI-AI and LUMI-IQ will form the most advanced public quantum-accelerated HPC+AI research infrastructure in the world.
Kajaani Data Center Ecosystem
Kajaani offers a unique combination of improved infrastructure, skilled professionals, and high quality of life – making Kajaani the ideal location for data centers, AI companies, and digital industries. Kajaani Data Center Ecosystem connects the region’s data centers, businesses, and other stakeholders. The ecosystem offers specialized expertise, services, and unique collaboration opportunities. By fostering open dialogue and shared initiatives, the Kajaani ecosystem offers opportunities for knowledge exchange and joint development.
GameCity Kajaani
The success story of Kajaani University of Applied Sciences and the local gaming companies has created a whole new branch of business in Kajaani and put the city on the world map with a bang. Kajaani is the birthplace of Finnish game development education, and has been creating success stories for almost 20 years.
Gaming is only easy for the gamers. The gaming industry is a very competitive and tough field. However, Kainuu and Kajaani have proved that small beginnings can lead to truly impressive results. It all started with the fist gaming-related degree at Kajaani University of Applied Sciences in 2005. Today, the gaming industry is a vibrant field of business and an important factor in the regional economy of Kainuu.
GameCity Kajaani is all about positioning the city as a center of creativity and innovation in the gaming industry by actively engaging in community building and supporting local talent. Through these efforts, Kajaani is shaping itself into a global destination for aspiring developers and creative minds alike. As an authentic game city, it offers the perfect environment to level up your skills.
