Estonia joins Nordic AI Gigafactory project
Estonia is no stranger to frontier AI projects, already using the most modern tools in the education system and producing an impressive array of AI-first startups and scale-ups. Now, there’s more on this front, as Estonia has signed a cooperation agreement with Nokia to participate in a Nordic consortium developing sovereign AI infrastructure across the region, Justice and Digital Affairs Minister Liisa Pakosta announced today in Oulu, Finland.
The project currently includes Estonia, Finland, and Latvia, with ongoing negotiations to bring Sweden and Denmark on board. The initiative responds to the European Commission’s program supporting the development of European sovereign AI infrastructure—specifically, AI gigafactories—designed to reduce dependence on third-party computing resources.
For Estonia, the agreement means establishing an AI-ready data centre on its territory that would integrate with both existing Estonian and broader regional infrastructure. The facility would provide essential computing capacity to the public sector, research institutions, and private enterprises.
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Originally published on 19 Dec
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The most recent (spring 2025) “Payment Radar” published by Latvijas Banka suggests that the ratio between non-cash and cash payments in Latvia was 78% to 22% in February 2025. This represents the highest-ever share of non-cash payments.
Relative to the figures from February and August 2024, the share of non-cash payments has climbed by 1 percentage point (from 77% to 78%).
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Originally published on 31 Mar
H2 Cluster Finland, which has grown into a community of over 100 organisations, becomes an official association. The new association aims to make Finland the leading hydrogen economy in Europe while creating more than 100,000 new jobs. H2 Cluster Finland becomes an association. The cluster, which previously operated without a legal form, will be further strengthened in its ability to promote co-operation and support societal decision-making.
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Originally published on 31 Mar
Baltic Hub has reached another milestone in the implementation of the T3 project. For the first time, an ocean-going container ship – MSC Stacey – was handled at the new T3 quay. This impressive vessel, measuring 365.9 meters in length and with a capacity of 15,000 TEU, arrived in Gdansk on March 30 as part of an additional call, known as an “extra call.”
This event is of great importance both for Baltic Hub and the entire Pomeranian region. The commencement of test cargo handling at the T3 quay confirms that the project is progressing in the right direction and that full operational readiness is drawing closer. The new quay will enable the efficient handling of the world’s largest container ships, strengthening Gdansk’s position as a strategic port on the Baltic Sea.
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Originally published on 31 Mar
The CREWS project, which aims to strengthen disaster risk reduction through community engagement and cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, has officially launched with a kick-off meeting in Hamburg-Altona on 27–28 March 2025.
CREWS – or Enhancing Capacities in Disaster Risk Reduction by Facilitating Public-Civil Cooperation – seeks to empower local communities by bridging the gap between formal authorities and civil society actors in disaster management.
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Originally published on 28 Mar
The City of Tallinn has submitted its application to become a Zero Waste Candidate City under the Mission Zero Academy (MiZA) certification scheme, makingi it the first Estonian city to join the programme.
The Zero Waste Cities programme is an initiative of Zero Waste Europe aimed at helping cities transition to zero waste systems. Through certification, cities gain a strong framework for turning ambition into concrete action. The process will help Tallinn refine its strategy, better engage residents, and accelerate the shift towards waste prevention practices and material reuse and recycling.
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Originally published on 27 Mar
NIB and Eskilstuna Biogas AB have signed a seven-year loan to co-finance the construction of a new biogas production plant in a facility near Eskilstuna, Sweden. The EUR 15 million loan is supported by the European Union under the InvestEU programme and is eligible under NIB’s InvestEU Framework Operation Green Mobility and Transport.
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Originally published on 26 Mar
Executives from Tyréns, one of Sweden’s largest design companies, and its Lithuanian branch have visited the Rail Baltica construction sites. The meeting with representatives of LTG Infra, the company implementing Rail Baltica in Lithuania, have discussed the ongoing and planned works. LTG Infra is currently focusing on securing design capacity and invites both Lithuanian and international design companies to work in Lithuania and contribute to the Rail Baltica project. According to Vytis Žalimas, CEO of LTG Infra, one of the biggest challenges for Rail Baltica now is to secure design resources for the planning of future high-speed railway sections.
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Originally published on 25 Mar
Lithuanian researchers from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) and the Lithuanian Energy Institute (LEI) have developed a groundbreaking hydrogen production technology that transforms waste into valuable, clean hydrogen fuel. This new method not only boosts hydrogen extraction efficiency but also addresses the persistent issue of tar formation in the gasification process. By offering a more sustainable energy solution, the technology holds significant promise for reducing industry’s reliance on fossil fuels and fostering a cleaner energy future.
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Originally published on 24 Mar
Boldyn Networks (Boldyn) and Ascom have joined forces to enhance digitalisation at Oulu University Hospital (OYS) by boosting 300 Ascom Myco 4 devices for the use of hospital staff, enabled by Boldyn’s private 5G Standalone(SA) network. This is part of the Hola Oulu project where consortium members Pohde, Oulu University Hospital (OYS), University of Oulu, and WICOAR Technologies Oy are revolutionising patient care by implementing advanced, secure, high-capacity connectivity within the hospital environment.
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Originally published on 24 Mar
Prince William visited Sunly to examine how hybrid energy parks are strengthening energy security and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. The visit, part of his tour including meetings with British troops under NATO’s Operation Cabrit, comes weeks after the Baltic states permanently disconnected from the Russian power grid and integrated with the European system.
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Originally published on 21 Mar