Nokia’s AI Gigafactory in Oulu has moved into the local approval process, with plans for a large artificial intelligence computing campus in the Toppila district. Nokia Solutions and Networks and AI infrastructure company Nscale are seeking to acquire a city-owned site for the project, while Oulun Energia is applying for the construction permit for the planned data centre complex.
Nokia’s AI Gigafactory would be built in Toppila
According to Yle, the proposed campus would be located at Tervahovintie 10, next to Oulun Energia’s district heating power plant. The approximately €5 million site is owned by the City of Oulu.
The prospective buyers are Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy and Nscale DC Holdings Finland Oy. In the first phase, the companies plan to develop a data centre and an electricity substation, followed by a second data centre in a later phase.
Oulu’s Urban Environment Committee (Yhdyskuntalautakunta) is considering a preliminary property sale agreement. Approval would establish the main terms of a future sale, but would not yet guarantee that the project will be built.
The final transaction still depends on several conditions, including subdivision of the site, a construction permit and arrangements concerning leases, environmental matters and rights of use.
At the same time, Oulun Energia is seeking a construction permit for the same AI Gigafactory complex, including the data centre, electricity substation and a visitor centre. The application also seeks permission to begin work before the permit becomes legally final.
Oulu strengthens its role in Nokia’s European operations
The proposed AI facility would further expand Nokia’s presence in Oulu. In 2025, the Finnish company opened its new research, development and manufacturing campus in the city, where around 3,000 Nokia employees work on technologies including 5G and 6G radio networks.
Nokia had already confirmed earlier in 2026 that it was pursuing a European AI Gigafactory project, although it had initially declined to confirm Oulu as the proposed location. The latest planning documents make Toppila the concrete site under consideration.
The Oulu project is part of the EU’s AI Gigafactory push
The plans come as the European Union seeks to expand its own computing infrastructure for artificial intelligence and reduce strategic technological dependencies.
Under its InvestAI initiative, the European Commission aims to mobilise €200 billion in AI investment, including dedicated funding for large-scale computing facilities.
In July 2026, the Commission launched a call to establish up to seven AI Gigafactories across Europe. The programme is backed by up to €10 billion in EU and national funding and is expected to attract at least €20 billion in additional private investment.
AI Gigafactories are designed to provide the computing capacity required to train and operate the next generation of artificial intelligence models. According to the Commission, they are expected to combine more than 100,000 advanced AI processors with high-speed networks, energy-efficient data centres and large-scale power infrastructure.
Nokia’s plans for Oulu therefore go beyond another data centre development in northern Finland. If selected and ultimately built, the project could make the city one of the centres of the EU’s attempt to develop more autonomous European infrastructure for advanced artificial intelligence.
