Kari Maikkola: Telia’s Nordic AI Powerhouse

In this exclusive interview, Kari Maikkola, Head of Data Centre Solutions at Telia, takes us inside the Telia Helsinki Data Centre, the largest open facility in the Nordics. Located in Pitäjänmäki, this carrier-neutral hub is redefining the role of infrastructure in the digital economy. Kari discusses the profound shift from basic connectivity to complex, high-density compute driven by the explosive demand for Artificial Intelligence.

He details how Telia is meeting this challenge through the convergence of 5G networks, sovereign data storage and advanced liquid-cooling technologies that support hyperscale GPU clusters. Beyond raw power, Kari highlights the facility’s unwavering commitment to sustainability, explaining how waste heat from servers is captured to warm thousands of Helsinki homes via the district heating network.

We also explore the critical importance of digital sovereignty and security in an era of geopolitical uncertainty. Kari explains how keeping data within Finland’s borders offers resilience for government and enterprise clients alike. Watch to discover how Telia is building a future-proof foundation for the AI era, balancing industrial-scale engineering with environmental responsibility to keep society running 24/7.