When private companies in Finland use High-Performance Computing (HPC) services, they can expect a 11-20-fold return on investment. This is according to a study by market research company Taloustutkimus. The study was commissioned by CSC, the national IT Center for Science. CSC operates several HPC computers while also functioning as the gateway for Finnish enterprises seeking access to them.
The study is the first of its kind in Finland. It involved in-depth interviews with representatives from 15 companies and organizations which used CSC’s computing services during 2023-2025.
“The interviewees were either users of CSC’s high-performance computing services or were otherwise highly knowledgeable about their use within their own organization and business sector,” says Erna Icén, Insight Director at Taloustutkimus.
In the study, effectiveness – defined as the monetary value of the benefit – was compared to cost by calculating return on investment.
Companies expect HPC use to increase
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.
“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 this depends on high-performance computing,” says Pekka Uusitalo, Director of Industry Engagement at CSC.
The role of HPC 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 HPC to increase in their own operations.
Builds on data security created for researchers
The study also highlighted CSC’s tailored local user support and secure data processing environments which ensure that valuable business data will not be leaked.
“Strengthening data sovereignty, together with efficient computing capacity, is a key factor in reducing dependency 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 business grows, we are able to offer the same services to companies as well,” says CSC’s Managing Director Kimmo Koski.
As part of the ecosystem around the Pan-European supercomputer LUMI (which is hosted by a consortium of 11 European countries led by CSC), a service center – the LUMI AI Factory – has been established. The center contributes to CSC’s service concept by providing sector-specific, tailored expert support and customer training.
“Last year, our business usage doubled, and we expect it to grow significantly again this year,” says CSC’s Pekka Uusitalo.
The text is inspired by the article “High-performance computing services by CSC have delivered 11-20-fold ROI for companies” at the CSC website.
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