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The Nordic Times

Polaris of Enlightenment

The Nordic Times

The Nordic Times

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https://nordictimes.com/science/finnish-supercomputer-gets-quantum-upgrade/

Science

Finnish supercomputer gets quantum upgrade

Updated November 9, 2024, Published October 10, 2024 – By Ivana Bratovanova
The names "LUMI" and "HELMI" mean "snow" and "pearl" in Finnish.
2 minute read
Ivana Bratovanova
ivana.bratovanova@nordictimes.com

LUMI, Europe’s fastest and the world’s fifth fastest supercomputer, has been integratated with the HELMI quantum computer.

The resulting hybrid system is, according to LUMI Director Pekka Manninen, “the most powerful quantum-enabled supercomputing infrastructure in the world".

Located in Kajaani, Finland, LUMI is renowned for its immense computational power, equivalent to approximately 1.5 million laptops. Now, the VTT Technical Research Centre has connected LUMI to the HELMI 5-qubit quantum computer, creating a hybrid computational architecture with enhanced capabilities and research potential.

“We see great potential in quantum computing for accelerating innovation for the benefit of companies and the whole society”, says Pekka Pursula, Research Manager at VTT.

The integration of LUMI and HELMI combines the processing power of classical supercomputing with the advanced capabilities of quantum computing. In this hybrid system, classical computing manages large-scale data processing, while HELMI tackles optimization challenges. This combination boosts efficiency and enables breakthroughs in fields like science, environmental modeling, logistics, and finance.

According to Pekka Manninen, Director of the LUMI Leadership Computing Facility at CSC - IT Center for Science, the upgrade makes it “the most powerful quantum-enabled supercomputing infrastructure in the world".

LUMI’s hybrid architecture is already supporting a wide array of critical research projects. For instance, it is aiding in the prediction of global weather patterns, advancing artificial intelligence research, and supporting drug discovery. Earlier this year, researchers at the University of Salerno used LUMI to analyze thousands of potential drug candidates, improving the efficiency of the drug development process.

The hybrid supercomputer is also proving useful in the study of space phenomena. Aalto University researcher Maarit Korpi-Lagg uses LUMI to study solar magnetism and its impact on solar activity. Her research involves numerical simulations to predict future solar behavior, helping society better understand the effects of solar storms.

Given the high energy demands of such advanced infrastructures, LUMI's location in central Finland was chosen for its access to low-cost hydroelectric power and naturally cold climate. The system also recycles its heat output to warm nearby buildings, reducing energy costs and emissions.

“Quantum computers are in many respects strange and unfamiliar, and it will be exciting to see how our customers end up using them”, comments Mikael Johansson, Quantum Technologies Manager at CSC, IT Center for Science in Espoo.

Ivana Bratovanova
ivana.bratovanova@nordictimes.com

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https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finlands-former-president-europe-should-speak-directly-with-putin/

Finland

Finland’s former president: Europe should speak directly with Putin

Published November 11, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Finnish former President Sauli Niinistö believes that Europe must remain European.
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Finland's former president Sauli Niinistö believes that European leaders should engage in direct talks with Moscow instead of relying solely on information from Donald Trump. He also warns that Europe is losing its role as a global power.

Niinistö criticizes the current situation where European countries lack direct contact with Russian leaders, while US President Donald Trump negotiates with Russian President Vladimir Putin about Ukraine's future. Niinistö argues that Europe should instead initiate direct talks with Russia to influence the outcome of the war.

— French President Emmanuel Macron is likely the last one to have called, and before that German Chancellor Olaf Scholz about a year ago. And he was criticized for it, Niinistö told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

He defended Scholz's decision to contact the Kremlin and describes the current situation as absurd.

— I defended him and still think that it is in a way an absurd situation that Europeans say they won't talk to the war criminal Putin. But Trump does it, and then we go and hear what they talked about, he explained.

Niinistö points out the paradox that Europeans are simultaneously worried that Putin and Trump will discuss Europe's future over the heads of the European countries themselves.

Europe has lost its global position

Furthermore, Niinistö notes that Europe's significance has decreased markedly during the 21st century. Today, it is primarily the US, China, and Russia that make the decisive decisions on the global stage.

When Finland joined the EU in the 1990s, the union was a voice that the world listened to. The situation was similar even after the turn of the millennium. Now, however, Europe has disappeared from the power quadrangle, according to Niinistö. He particularly points to how the US and China compete economically and divide the world between them in what he describes as a struggle for nations' loyalty.

— Europe must keep Europe European and must absolutely not submit to becoming an object of division, so that someone belongs to one camp and someone else to another, he says.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/science/powerful-new-antibiotic-discovered-by-accident/

Science

Powerful new antibiotic discovered by accident

Published November 6, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

Researchers have discovered an antibiotic that is more than 100 times stronger than previously thought – by studying a process that has been known for at least fifty years. The discovery could be a breakthrough in the fight against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotics were discovered in 1928 by Alexander Fleming, but widespread use of the drug only began during World War II. Today, large amounts of antibiotics are used annually worldwide, which has led to higher resistance to the drug.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) means that bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites develop resistance to drugs, including antibiotics. It arises primarily through incorrect and excessive use of antibiotics, and is a problem that is increasing globally. It is therefore considered one of the most serious threats to global health.

Now researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK and Monash University in Australia have made an unexpected discovery while studying how the bacterium Streptomyces coelicolor produces the old antibiotic methylenomycin A. This bacterium has been one of the most studied in antibiotic research since the 1950s.

In simple terms, when cells produce chemical substances, they go through several intermediate stages before the final product is ready – rather like baking, where ingredients are mixed in a certain order. The researchers had the idea of testing these intermediate stages for antimicrobial activity. It turned out that one of them is significantly more powerful than the final product itself.

— Methylenomycin A was originally discovered 50 years ago and while it has been synthesized several times, no-one appears to have tested the synthetic intermediates for antimicrobial activity!, says Professor Greg Challis at the University of Warwick, in a press release.

One hundred times more powerful

This intermediate stage, called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, proved to be a very powerful antibiotic – in fact one hundred times more effective than methylenomycin A against dangerous bacteria. It worked particularly well against bacteria that cause MRSA (methicillin-resistant staphylococcus infection) and VRE (vancomycin-resistant enterococci) – two of healthcare's worst nightmares.

Furthermore, the bacteria appeared to have great difficulty developing resistance to the new antibiotic. The discovery opens up a completely new avenue for antibiotic research, and the researchers have already developed a new method for producing the antibiotic in larger quantities, with preclinical trials as the next step.

— This discovery suggests a new paradigm for antibiotic discovery. By identifying and testing intermediates in the pathways to diverse natural compounds, we may find potent new antibiotics, says Professor Challis.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finland-introduces-employment-requirement-for-citizenship/

Finland

Finland introduces employment requirement for citizenship

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

From December, those who rely solely on unemployment benefits or income support will no longer be able to obtain Finnish citizenship. During a two-year period, applicants may receive benefits for a maximum of three months.

The second phase of Finland's citizenship law reform now takes effect in December. The change means that citizenship can no longer be granted to people who support themselves solely through unemployment benefits or income support, i.e., social assistance, from Kela (the Social Insurance Institution of Finland).

— Successful integration, employment, and respect for Finnish society's rules are conditions that must be met to be granted citizenship, says Finnish Interior Minister Mari Rantanen in a press release.

In addition to the income requirement, the changes mean that those who do not actively contribute to establishing their identity cannot be granted citizenship. The conditions for loss of citizenship have also been tightened.

In practice, applicants must be able to support themselves financially without benefits for two years before they can begin the application process.

Strongly pushed the issue

During government negotiations, many parties agreed that the tightening was needed, and a majority of the current government strongly pushed the issue. However, the Swedish People's Party of Finland attempted to bring it down to a "reasonable level".

— This was politically an issue that the majority of the government very strongly pushed for, and where SFP tried as best we could to get it to a reasonable level somehow. But we were quite alone in that view, says Member of Parliament Sandra Bergqvist to Finnish national broadcaster Yle.

The tightening only applies to people of working age. The requirement for secure income does not apply to applicants under 18 years or people over 65 years.

For children, the law can still cause problems indirectly, since children usually apply for citizenship together with their guardian. If the guardian does not meet the income requirement, the child's application may also be rejected.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

https://nordictimes.com/the-nordics/finland/finnish-region-loses-millions-in-revenue-after-border-closure-with-russia/

Finland

Finnish region loses millions in revenue after border closure with Russia

The new cold war

Published November 5, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The border crossing between Russia (Svetogorsk) and Finland (Imatra)
2 minute read
Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com

The Finnish region of South Karelia has been severely impacted economically since Finland closed its border with Russia at the end of 2023. Tourism revenue has decreased by approximately one million euros per day, and hotels, restaurants and shops stand empty.

South Karelia is located closer to St. Petersburg than to Helsinki, the Finnish capital, and has maintained extensive economic ties with Russia for decades.

The region's economy has been built on cross-border tourism, shopping, timber trade and local jobs within the forest industry.

Finland's decision to close the 1,430-kilometer land border with Russia was motivated by accusations that Moscow had deliberately created an increased migrant flow from Africa and the Middle East to Finland. Moscow has in turn dismissed the accusations as "completely groundless".

Impact on local businesses

Hotels, restaurants and shops in the region now stand largely empty, reports Bloomberg.

– Russian customers asked why we couldn’t stay open around the clock. They bought clothes in stacks – mostly the latest fashion and bling, but even winter coats were sold out by August, says Sari Tukiainen, who runs a shop in Imatra, a Finnish border town.

Due to decreased sales, Tukiainen plans to close the shop at the end of the year. Unemployment in Imatra has simultaneously risen to 15 percent, the highest in Finland, as factories and steel mills have reduced their workforce.

Historically, Finland has had a complex relationship with Russia. The country was part of the Russian Empire for over a century, and despite two wars with the Soviet Union during World War II, a friendly relationship was maintained during the Cold War.

After the war in Ukraine escalated in 2022, Finland was early to impose sanctions against Moscow. The country also abandoned its long-standing neutrality by joining the US-led military alliance NATO, a step that has further changed the economic and political dynamics in the region.

Editorial staff
editorial@nordictimes.com