High-performance computing services offered by CSC have delivered 11–20-fold ROI for companies

CSC's HPC services comprise the Finnish national supercomputer infrastructure and the pan-European LUMI supercomputer. LUMI is owned by the EuroHPC Joint Undertaking and hosted by a consortium of 11 European countries led by CSC.

In particular, CSC's industrial customers have benefited from the services through faster and more cost-effective product development. HPC services have accelerated companies' product development projects, supported the creation of new business models, and made it possible to bring new products to market.

“The study involved in-depth interviews with representatives from 15 companies and organisations. The interviewees were either users of CSC's high-performance computing services or were otherwise highly knowledgeable about their use within their own organisation and business sector. The analysis draws on background material provided by CSC, as well as qualitative and some quantitative data gathered from the interviews, along with the assumptions and generalisations derived from these sources. Effectiveness (defined as the monetary value of the benefit) was compared to costs by calculating ROI, which is the ratio of benefits to costs, states Erna Icén”, Insight Director at Taloustutkimus.

The participating companies used CSC's computing services during 2023–2025. 

For startups, access to computing resources is essential for product development

In many cases, HPC services provided by CSC have been essential for enabling projects involving artificial intelligence development, big data analysis, various simulations, and digital twins. For many startups, these computing services have become a vital prerequisite for product development that relies on advanced computational methods. Without these services, many innovations would not have been achieved.

"Companies' business models and product development methods have evolved. Decisions are increasingly based on extensive data-driven analyses, and artificial intelligence is now widely used. All of this depends on high-performance computing," says Pekka Uusitalo, Director of Industry Engagement at CSC.  

The role of high-performance computing methods in corporate product development is increasing rapidly, and these approaches are being adopted across a growing number of industries. Of the 15 companies interviewed for the study, all but one expected the use of high-performance computing to increase in their own operations.

Secure data processing and a possibility to pilot new technologies  

The study also highlighted CSC's tailored local user support and secure data processing environments based in Finland. This ensures that companies can be confident their valuable business data will not be leaked to any external party.

"Strengthening data sovereignty, together with efficient computing capacity, is a key factor in reducing dependence on non-European digital services. For more than 10 years, CSC has been systematically developing a high-performance computing and data management ecosystem for research, ensuring that data is securely stored in Finland. As demand from businesses grows, we are able to offer the same services to companies as well," says CSC's Managing Director Kimmo Koski.

Companies also see a major advantage in CSC's services: they have been able to pilot new technologies, such as quantum computing. The pan-European LUMI supercomputer hosted by CSC´s data center enables users to leverage e.g. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland's quantum computers. Finland's unique strengths have been recognised in the Finnish Quantum Technology Strategy that was published in 2025.

Computing services provided by CSC have given companies access to hybrid computing, which brings together traditional high-performance computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. This enables Finnish companies and RDI actors to develop solutions to entirely new challenges. Finland is one of the first countries in the world where this is possible.

Building companies' expertise is a key development priority

In many companies, a lack of expertise is holding back the use of high-performance computing. That is why industry-specific, tailored expert support – along with close collaboration between companies, CSC, and researchers – is essential to ensure that computational methods are aligned with business needs.

"In addition, we need broad-based dialogue across all levels of society about how Finland can ensure sufficient industry-specific technological capabilities for the future," says Irina Kupiainen, who is Director of EU Affairs, Policy and Business Development and was responsible for the ROI study at CSC.

A key element of CSC's service concept is sector-specific, tailored expert support and customer training. The pan-European LUMI AI Factory hosted by CSC is far more than just a supercomputer. It also functions as a service centre, supporting companies as they begin to adopt computational methods.

The national AI Finland network also serves as a partner and a link to companies. The LUMI AI Factory forms part of the EU's AI Continent strategy, which aims to strengthen Europe's own AI capabilities.

Business adoption is growing rapidly

"Last year, our business usage doubled, and we expect it to grow significantly again this year," says Pekka Uusitalo.

This is the first time a study has been conducted to measure the benefits that companies gain from the high-performance computing services provided by CSC.”

Two years ago, CSC collaborated with Taloustutkimus to examine the social return on investment (SROI) of its high-performance computing services.

"This time, we wanted to focus specifically on evaluating the benefits for companies. We are pleased to see that the computing services have delivered significant benefits to the companies that have used them, both financially and in terms of quality." says Kimmo Koski.

For further information, please contact:

Irina Kupiainen, Director of EU Affairs, Policy and Business Development
Phone: +358 50 381 2644
irina.kupiainen@csc.fi