This week’s stories are about tech, AI and sustainability, coming from Finland, Taiwan and the UK

TikTok to build second $1.16 billion data center in Finland

TikTok plans to invest €1 billion ($1.16 billion) to construct a second data center in Finland, expanding its efforts to store European user data within the region.

I saw this story at Reuters and the move comes less than a year after the company announced its first Finnish facility and follows growing scrutiny over data protection, as well as increased pressure from European governments on social media platforms to strengthen safeguards for users, particularly children.

The new facility will be located in Lahti in southern Finland, with an initial capacity of 50 megawatts and the potential to scale up to 128 megawatts, TikTok announced. The investment forms part of the company’s broader €12 billion European data sovereignty initiative, aimed at enhancing protections for more than 200 million users in Europe.

Finland has increasingly attracted large-scale data center investments from global technology firms due to its cold climate, relatively low-cost and low-carbon energy supply, and stable regulatory framework within the European Union.

However, TikTok’s expansion in the country has drawn political scrutiny. Finnish officials raised concerns last year after Reuters reported plans for the company’s first data center in Kouvola, citing limited transparency and potential security risks.

Although Finland Ministry of Defense approved the project in 2024, some lawmakers said they had not been adequately informed. Then-economic affairs minister Wille Rydman publicly urged a reassessment of the project, pointing to security concerns and a lack of openness.

TikTok said European user data is currently stored with enhanced protections across facilities in Norway, Ireland and the United States. The Kouvola data center is expected to become operational by the end of this year, while the Lahti site is scheduled to be completed by 2027.

TikTok to build second $1.16 billion data center in Finland

AI chip demand strains TSMC capacity, creates opening for Samsung

Surging demand for artificial intelligence (AI) chips is pushing Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) most advanced production capacity to its limits, potentially giving Samsung Electronics to gain ground in the high-end semiconductor market.

I saw this story at Korea Herald and industry sources said TSMC is effectively fully booked for its cutting-edge 2-nanometer process through 2028, with orders pouring in from major customers including Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm and Apple. Even a planned fabrication plant in Arizona, expected to begin mass production around 2030, is reportedly largely pre-allocated.(By the way I have a story here about a book Samsung)

The supply constraints are positioning Samsung as a key alternative for advanced chip production. The South Korean company is the only other manufacturer currently capable of producing chips at the 2nm node.

TSMC held about 72% of the global foundry market in the fourth quarter of last year, compared with roughly 7% for Samsung, according to the story. However, the gap narrows significantly in leading-edge manufacturing below 5nm, where the market is effectively dominated by the two companies.

Samsung has historically lagged behind due to challenges in its foundry business, including lower production yields and a smaller customer base, while its memory chip division has been the primary driver of profits.

That dynamic is beginning to shift as demand for AI chips accelerates and Samsung improves its advanced manufacturing processes. The company has raised yields on its 2nm process to around 60% and is working to further enhance performance.

Samsung has also started to attract major clients, securing orders from companies such as Tesla and Apple, expanding its work with Nvidia, and entering discussions with AMD on future chip development. Interest from Arm is also increasing.

AI chip demand strains TSMC capacity, creates opening for Samsung

UK emissions fall 2% in 2025 as industrial decline offsets transport rise

The United Kingdom’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2% in 2025 to an estimated 367 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent, according to provisional government data.

I saw this story at ESG News and the figures, released by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, show emissions dropped by about 7 million tons from the previous year and are now roughly 54% below 1990 levels, placing the UK among the leading G7 countries in cutting emissions.

The steepest decline came from the industrial sector, where emissions fell 12%, largely due to the closure of blast furnaces in iron and steel production that reduced gas consumption, per the story.

In the power sector, emissions edged down 1% following a major transition away from coal. The UK recorded its first full year without coal-fired electricity generation in 2024 after shutting its last coal plant, the story claimed. The modest decline in 2025 suggests most of the gains from coal phase-outs have already been realized, with further reductions likely to depend on expanding renewable capacity, grid flexibility and energy storage.

By contrast, transport emissions rose 2% in 2025, driven by higher petrol and diesel use, highlighting a key challenge for the country’s climate strategy. The increase comes despite policies promoting electric vehicles, suggesting adoption and infrastructure expansion are not yet sufficient to curb fossil fuel demand in one of the UK’s largest emitting sectors.

The data underscores the scale of the task ahead as the UK targets net zero emissions by 2050 and aims to cut emissions by 81% by 2035. While progress since 1990 has been significant, future reductions are expected to require more complex changes across transport, buildings and industry.

UK emissions fall 2% in 2025 as industrial decline offsets transport rise