“Nordic companies need to wake up to a new order of magnitude in AI investment,” writes Iida Lähdemäki, COO of AI Finland, in a new blog post for Technology Industries of Finland, referring to the fourth Nordic State of AI report published on 11 March 2025.
The fourth edition of the Nordic State of AI report
The annual Nordic State of AI report from Silo AI and AI Finland surveys the use of AI across the Nordic countries. Its aim is to give business leaders, academics, policymakers, and anyone else interested a comprehensive view of the latest shifts and developments in the Nordic AI landscape.
This year’s survey drew responses from more than 120 specialists and executives at Nordic companies and public organisations, who shared their views on AI’s role, development priorities, challenges, and investment.
The report says it is time to wake up to investment
The Nordic State of AI survey shows that AI’s role is strengthening in Nordic companies: the technology is increasingly seen as a strategic driver rather than merely an efficiency tool, and 60 per cent of companies say they are satisfied with the results of their AI investments.
At the same time, the survey reveals a critical shortcoming: although AI’s importance for competitiveness is recognised, the level of investment remains too low for large-scale adoption.
According to the report, moving from experimental projects to scaled AI solutions requires considerably bigger commitments from organisations than before. Many companies, however, plan to invest less than €500,000 in AI over the coming year, which for the largest players may limit the rollout of more extensive solutions. Companies aiming for a leading position should weigh up longer-term investment, particularly in infrastructure, skills development, and strategic planning.
The survey also shows a shift in what the challenges are: for the first time, a limited level of investment — rather than a lack of skills — has emerged as the central problem. Alongside it, the public sector stands out for a decentralised organisational model that can make consistent delivery of effective solutions harder.
The report emphasises that the companies achieving the best results are those that use AI as part of the core of their strategy and connect the technology both to improving products and to seeking new revenue streams. Cooperation within ecosystems and networking between research and business come up repeatedly as cornerstones of success.
