Finnish brothers build half of Finland’s data centers

Brothers Antti and Ville Finér run a groundworks company now working on nine data center construction sites across Finland, as the sector becomes the only reliable growth area in the country’s struggling construction industry.

Their firm has grown fivefold in recent years, with turnover rising from €6–10 million to over €40 million, driven entirely by data center demand. The company, which prepares sites, clears land, and builds underground infrastructure, currently employs around 350 people, including subcontractors—all Finnish.

Finland’s data center boom now employs roughly 10,000 workers, with estimates from industry groups suggesting 50–70% are Finnish. The surge has reversed years of job losses in construction, where 25,000 positions vanished after the collapse of residential building.

Eighteen major data centers are under construction in Finland, with up to 100 potentially planned. The Finér brothers’ company, once a small family operation inspired by their father’s single excavator, now faces a new challenge: a shortage of skilled workers rather than a lack of projects.

While early data center contracts in Finland often went to Irish firms with prior experience, Finnish companies like YIT and SRV now secure lead roles. The shift mirrors Ireland’s path, where local builders gained expertise and trust from tech giants like Microsoft and Google.