Speech by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Turku AI Summit on 17 November 2025

Speech by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Turku AI Summit on 17 November 2025

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo spoke at the AI Summit in Turku, Finland, on 17 November. Speech to be checked against delivery.

Good morning, dear friends,

Thank you for having me here. It's a real honour to be in my hometown Turku, speaking to you about artificial intelligence and Finland's strengths in this field.

I'd like to start by saying this: we need a brave and confident approach to AI. AI isn't just a tool. it's becoming the heart of how businesses and societies work. It's one of the main drivers of competitiveness. And competitiveness is crucial to our security.

That means leadership must be clear and focused. We need to have a vision, set goals, measure results, and build real impact.

As we know, Europe is behind its main global competitors when it comes to innovation. Now is the time for change, it's the time for Europe's technological momentum. Europe must lead, not follow in the next wave of AI development.

We can't be known only for our culture, architecture, and museums. We must also be known for our ability to innovate, for our strong innovation ecosystem that brings together world-class talent. Such as the Ellis network. Thank you very much for your work and presence.

Europe's future growth depends on new technologies and digitalisation. The data economy is already growing fast, but we need to do more to secure our share of the global market. And that growth depends on AI.

To lead globally, the EU must invest in emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, quantum technologies, semiconductors, and 6G. A good example is the AI Gigafactory initiative. Finland and my government is working with the Nokia led consortium to host one of the AI gigafactories. We have the know-how, cheap electricity, world class cooling systems and space.

We need to be ambitious and act together, while keeping our focus on a human-centred and responsible vision of AI.

At the same time, the EU must make it easier for innovative companies to grow, reach the market, and get financing. We must ensure that European start-ups and tech champions can compete on a truly global scale.

Simpler rules and less red tape would help Europe move faster and turn ideas into results.

Here, I'm proud to say that Finland is moving fast. We are one of the best places in the world to research, develop, and scale AI innovations. In recent years, more Finnish companies have made AI a central part of their strategy. Our startup scene is one of the most active in Europe.

A great example of our progress is the LUMI AI Factory, part of the LUMI supercomputer. It brings together massive computing power, high-quality data, and top experts to build and test AI responsibly and at speed. Few countries can say the same. LUMI shows how Finland has built world-class infrastructure for AI and data-driven research.

Now the next step is to deepen cooperation between research and industry to make sure that research turns into innovation and real-world impact. Finland's strength lies in connecting research, technology, and business. That connection is the foundation of our competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Another key to our success is how the public and private sectors work together. A great example is the ELLIS network, supported by the Finnish government and the PS Foundation.

It shows that long-term cooperation between the state, academia, and private partners is very productive.

Successful public-private cooperation becomes even more critical in strategic sectors such as security and defence.

To put it simply: our values must guide AI development. Not the other way around.

The Finnish Government is strongly committed to a human-centered data economy and a secure digital environment. Fairness, safety, and trust are at the core of both Finnish and European digital policy.

We want AI to serve people and businesses, and to do so in line with our democratic values. If developed according to our values, AI can be used to solve significant human and societal problems.

Looking ahead, developing AI is a marathon, not a sprint. Finland must keep investing in research, infrastructure, and innovation to stay at the forefront. By working together with researchers, companies, and the public sector, we can build sustainable growth and a stronger Europe.

Thank you.