EIB Group Backs Finland's Green Transition And Innovation Projects

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.5. The European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Investment Fund (EIF), collectively forming the EIB Group, provided around €1.6 billion in financing to Finnish public sector bodies and companies in 2025, supporting climate action, energy security, innovation, and access to finance for startups and SMEs, Trend reports via the Bank.

The financing helped mobilise total investments of roughly €4.9 billion in Finland, equivalent to 1.8% of GDP or €868 per person.

Key projects included EIB support for new tram infrastructure in the Helsinki metropolitan area, aimed at promoting sustainable urban mobility and reducing transport emissions. The Bank also financed upgrades to hospitals and schools to improve energy efficiency and resilience, as well as safety and reliability improvements at the Olkiluoto nuclear power plant to support low-carbon electricity generation.

Support for industry and innovation included EIB financing of up to €870 million for Nokia to advance research, development, and innovation in mobile technologies such as 5G and 6G, semiconductors, and digital connectivity, with part of the facility specifically allocated to Finnish research and innovation activities. The EIB also provided €20 million to Finnish startup Aisti to scale sustainable, noise-reducing building materials made from natural fibres, enabling a doubling of production capacity in its Kitee facility.

In addition to direct financing, the EIF contributed €222 million through equity investments and guarantees for Finnish companies, including a €30 million EU-backed export credit guarantee pilot under InvestEU in partnership with Finnvera, supporting Finnish trade with Ukraine. Finnvera also became an EIF shareholder in 2025, strengthening collaboration to support SMEs and economic resilience.

The EIB Group is the EU's long-term financing institution, owned by its Member States. In 2025, the EIB Group signed €100 billion in new financing for over 870 projects across eight priority areas, including climate action, digital innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, capital markets, and broader EU resilience. All projects are aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement.

MENAFN05022026000187011040ID1110699658