Illustration of a fictional data centre. · AI-generated image.
On 9 September 2026, Google announced plans to invest €13 billion in Finland during 2027–2028. For Finnish businesses, this raises a practical question: could these projects bring us orders, and would we need more people to deliver them?
The opportunities depend on a company's expertise and customers. An electrical contractor might seek installation work, while a maintenance business might pursue a longer service agreement. Before deciding to recruit, it is worth finding out what purchases are planned and who is responsible for them.
Where will Google invest?
Google's announcement names Hamina, Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala. According to Business Finland, the Hamina data centre will be expanded and new data centres will be built in Kajaani, Muhos and Vaala.
Google says the investment covers infrastructure, energy and partnerships. The full €13 billion is therefore not a pool of contracts available to local businesses. A company needs to assess its opportunities by considering which services the projects require and which of those it can provide.
The investment period gives businesses a timeframe for preparation, but it does not establish when individual contracts will start or when every site will be completed. Companies need to confirm their own schedule with the customer. That will help them assess when staff will be needed and how much time they have to recruit.
What do the employment estimates mean?
Google estimates that the construction phase will support more than 37,000 jobs in Finland, including around 16,000 in construction. It estimates an annual impact of 7,000 jobs during operations. This includes work at the data centres, in supplier businesses and in local services used by employees.
These are economic impact estimates published by Google, not numbers of vacancies or Google's own planned hires. Nor do they represent permanent jobs in one locality. The construction and operational estimates should not be added together, because they cover different phases and periods.
The employment estimates help illustrate the scale of the projects. Expanding a company's own team requires more specific information: what the customer plans to order, how much work delivery will require and how long that work will last. This gives the business a basis for a hiring decision that reflects its own situation.
Where should suppliers start?
In its blog about the investment, Google says that its Hamina operations supported more than 600 Finnish suppliers during 2023–2025. Their work involved construction, data centre operations and fibre networks. Data centres have therefore provided work for a range of businesses.
A company interested in new contracts should establish who might buy its services and how suppliers are selected. The number of companies involved in previous projects does not establish which contracts are currently available. Potential customers may be found at different points in the supply chain.
Consider a hypothetical electrical company with experience in demanding industrial environments. Management is thinking about hiring a project manager for data centre work. The role becomes easier to define once the company knows whether it is pursuing a limited installation contract or a longer service agreement. The duration of the work, customer expectations and the project manager's responsibilities may differ. This example does not describe Google's procurement.
Location also affects which work a company should pursue. Could the existing team serve the site, or would staff be needed locally? A nearby project may fit the company's current operations, while a business whose employees already travel for work may be able to serve a more distant site. The fit with the company's skills and working practices matters more than distance alone.
Assess skills needs before signing a contract
Preparation can begin by comparing the current team's skills with the work the company wants to win. If expertise is missing, consider whether it would also help serve existing customers. A new hire would then not depend entirely on one future project.
When discussing a role with candidates, explain whether the work has already been agreed or whether the start still depends on winning an order. Candidates also need to know which company would employ them, where they would work and what the role would involve. This helps them assess both their suitability for the job and the uncertainty involved.
Our guide to data centre jobs and skills in Finland explains the professional backgrounds needed in the industry. Once the company's roles and skills requirements are clear, data centre recruitment can help it find suitable people.
Google's investment in Finland gives businesses a reason to explore potential customers and future skills needs. A useful first step is to discuss the work and its schedule with a prospective customer. It then becomes easier to decide which opportunities to pursue and what expertise the company will need.
