Sitra’s year 2025: A record amount of funding for solutions to renew Finland and build sustainable growth
Sitra’s future-oriented work took a new direction in 2025, in accordance with the strategy adopted the previous year. Sitra decided to make a historically large special investment of EUR 50 million in strengthening the productivity of the public sector by using data and artificial intelligence between 2025 and 2028.
“The lack of economic growth, imbalances in public finances and the ageing population require significant reforms from Finland. The goal of the special investment is to provide a more sustainable basis for services and their funding in the future,” says Sitra’s President Atte Jääskeläinen.
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Originally published on 28 Apr
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Neo Performance Materials Inc. (“Neo” or the “Company”) (TSX:NEO; OTCQX:NOPMF) today announced the successful commissioning of its heavy rare earth element (“HREE”) solvent extraction small-scale production line at its Silmet facility in Estonia. The solvent extraction line is operating at nameplate capacity, with efforts now focused on delivering stable product purity prior to transitioning to routine production capacity.
The operation has produced its first separated terbium and dysprosium process solutions, pre-cursor products for metal making, from mixed rare earth carbonate feedstock, with all processing completed entirely in Europe. This achievement validates the technical robustness and operational reliability of the Silmet HREE solvent extraction line under continuous operating conditions and marks a significant milestone in establishing advanced heavy rare earth separation capability in Europe.
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Originally published on 10 Apr
Stegra has agreed in principle on €1.4 billion in new financing from a combination of new and existing investors to complete the construction of its large-scale green steel plant in Boden, Sweden.
The financing round is led by Wallenberg Investments, which has formed a consortium of investors that will, through this transaction, take a leading position in Stegra. Alongside Wallenberg Investments, the consortium consists of Temasek and IMAS. Funding is further strongly supported by Stegra’s existing shareholders, including Altor who will be the second largest owner post-closing, as well as Hy24 and Just Climate. It is also supported, subject to credit approvals, by its senior and junior lenders. This provides Stegra with a fully funded path to complete the construction and commissioning of its green steel plant.
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Originally published on 14 Apr
According to preliminary data from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), global foreign direct investment (FDI) increased by a total of 14% in 2025, to approximately USD 1.6 trillion globally. Growth is driven particularly by data center projects, which already account for more than a fifth of all greenfield investments globally. However, without data centers, the real growth rate would be only about 5%, which still indicates a challenging investment climate. In addition to data centers, the semiconductor industry was almost the only one with global growth. Investments related to semiconductors increased by 35% internationally.
In Finland, the volume of investments increased sharply after three years of decline. According to the monitoring of Invest in Finland, which operates as part of Business Finland, 527 investment projects of foreign companies were located in Finland in 2025, which is 160 more than in the previous year. Investment projects include new foreign companies established in Finland and further investments made by foreign-owned companies already operating in Finland. Foreign currency statistics for Finland will be obtained from Statistics Finland in September 2026.
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Originally published on 14 Apr
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is lending €100 million to Finnish pharmaceutical company Orion Pharma to develop new treatments for cancer, pain and other serious conditions with few treatment options.
The financing will support Orion Pharma’s research and development activities across its European centres, covering personnel costs, clinical trials, patenting and investments in specialised laboratory equipment. By reinforcing Orion Pharma’s long-term R&D capacity, the EIB is helping strengthen Europe’s competitiveness in advanced biopharmaceutical innovation.
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Originally published on 15 Apr
Nordic energy company Gasum and shipping company Wasaline have extended their agreement for bio-LNG supply to continue through 2027. This agreement continues to strengthen the companies’ long-standing partnership.
It also underlines both companies’ commitment to developing cleaner maritime transport. Wasaline runs a carbon neutral shipping corridor between Finland and Sweden, as the company’s vessel Aurora Botnia uses batteries and biogas to operate the route. Gasum supplies the vessel with bio-LNG.
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Originally published on 13 Apr
Estonian-founded startup Handhold has closed a €3M seed round to scale its AI-powered platform that automates the entire inbound customer journey — from first website visit through to renewal.
The round was led by Entourage Capital, with participation from Inovia Capital and e2vc. The broader ecosystem also chiped in: notable angels include Bolt founder Markus Villig, former Twilio CTO Ott Kaukver, Wise CTO Harsh Sinha, and Verif founder Janer Gorohhov.
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Originally published on 13 Apr
Estonia’s AI Leap Foundation is inviting international education professionals and partners to Tallinn on May 28–29, 2026, for a two-day study visit introducing Estonia’s national AI education program. The AI Leap International Study Visit is designed for education leaders, ministry representatives, and partners interested in how AI is being integrated into general education at a national level.
Over the two days, participants will take part in school visits, hands-on sessions, and policy discussions, gaining direct insight into how AI tools are used in classrooms and how Estonia’s AI Leap program is implemented in practice. The event is designed as a small-group experience focused on meaningful exchange and collaboration among international peers, rather than a traditional conference.
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Originally published on 13 Apr
A group of very enthusiasticstudents from Roskilde University are currently working on different projects around green transition and local development on Bornholm.
The students have presented their preliminary results from their fieldwork to representatives from the local community, many of whom they have interviewed during a stay on the island.
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Originally published on 14 Apr
By the end of 2025, the EU area already had nearly 8.5 million all-electric vehicles in total—including passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses. The total capacity of these batteries is hundreds of gigawatt hours. This volume corresponds to 1.5 hours of all electricity consumption in the whole of Europe.
A large portion of the battery capacity would still be usable even when the vehicles reach the end of their lifespan. Lithium-ion batteries of end-of-life vehicles would have significant capacity remaining for stationary Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
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Originally published on 14 Apr
The Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) and US defence company Lockheed Martin have signed a contract for the procurement of three additional HIMARS multiple rocket systems. The agreement also includes an investment of approximately USD 11 million into Estonia’s defence industry.
“Additional HIMARS systems will ensure the deep-strike capability required by the Estonian Defence Forces and NATO, significantly strengthening both our national defence capability and deterrence. Expanding cooperation with Lockheed Martin will also directly support the development of Estonia’s defence industry,” said Minister of Defence Hanno Pevkur.
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Originally published on 11 Apr