Kouvola, a city in southeastern Finland, has welcomed TikTok's decision to build a new data center in the city, stressing the significant economic and strategic benefits of the project, which are expected to benefit both locally and nationally.In a statement released on Wednesday (May 7), the city of Kouvola described the TikTok data center project as a "major investment" that could substantially stimulate economic activity in the area and across the country. The facility, built on 34,000 square meters of land, is currently under construction, with the first phase expected to take about a year and a half to complete.
Natural scenery of Kuovola City in southeastern Finland. (ANTARA/Xinhua/Handout The City of Kuovola)
"We welcome TikTok to Kouvola. This investment, which is exceptional in its category, will strengthen Kouvola's status as a growing regional hub and underline its attractiveness as an investment destination," said Kouvola Mayor Marita Toikka.
"We are excited about the jobs created and the long-term impact this project will have on the economy and vitality of our region. The city will continue to work closely with the project developers," Toikka said.
The project is expected to create hundreds of jobs during its construction phase, and offer short-term employment enhancements. Once operational, the data center is expected to support the long-term economic vitality of Kouvola and eastern Finland.
In addition, the project will also contribute to sustainable development through the integration of waste heat, or residual heat energy released into the atmosphere, into the district heating network.
People watch a rock music performance at a square in Kuovola in the summer of 2022. (ANTARA/Xinhua/Handout The City of Kuovola)
Kouvola's chief financial officer, Hellevi Kunnas, estimates the city could pocket about 800,000 euros ($1,000), or 912,000 US dollars ($1,000) a year, in municipal tax revenues, based on the creation of about 300 new jobs related to the project.
In addition to Kouvola, the project will also strengthen Finland's position as a promising and competitive destination for data center operations. The data center project is expected to accelerate the development of supporting infrastructure and enhance the country's information technology capabilities.
The TikTok logo is seen on a mobile phone screen in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, on March 13, 2024. (ANTARA/Xinhua/Liu Jie)
Memilih lokasi di Desa Koria, Kota Kouvola, pusat data itu sedang dikembangkan oleh perusahaan investasi real estat asal Finlandia, HyperCo. Dengan total investasi sebesar 1 miliar euro, fasilitas itu akan menjadi elemen kunci dari infrastruktur TikTok di Eropa.
