The French corporation Data4 and the Greek government broke ground on a new data center outside of Athens to help position Greece as a strategic hub for tech and AI.
Greece is positioning itself as a regional hub for technology and artificial intelligence with the construction of two new data centers by French company Data4.
On November 19, Cointelegraph attended the groundbreaking event for the new Data4 facility, located near Athens, the Greek capital.
This marks Data4’s first step into the Greek market, aiming to transform the country into a significant player in connectivity and data hosting within the Mediterranean region.
A Boost to Greece’s Digital Infrastructure
Data4’s new campus is expected to strengthen Greece’s digital infrastructure and support its ambitions to become a regional leader in technology and IT.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis attended the ceremony alongside government officials and Data4 executives.
Mitsotakis emphasized the project’s potential to benefit the local economy, enhance Greece’s global standing, and provide opportunities for skilled workers. He remarked,
“The government is committed to supporting projects that drive digital transformation and foster innovation.”
The project will include at least two data center buildings. The first is already under construction and is expected to be operational by late 2026 or early 2027.
The second will follow, contingent on market demand and growth in Greece, according to Data4 CEO Olivier Micheli.
When asked how Greece compares to other European markets, Micheli noted similarities in demand for local data hosting. He added,
“The government [here] is very active, [it] has a program transition to the cloud and digital to facilitate the lives of the citizens. The government is already a big consumer. As well, you have all the tech giants that are willing to support AI and cloud development in the country.”
European Data Center Investments
Data4 announced its plans for Greece in September, committing approximately €300 million to build the first two centers. Micheli added, “If we work very well with the community, if we are able to build a third data center here, it will be around €450–500 million in total.”
Data4 is one of several companies investing in data centers across Europe, managing facilities in six countries and targeting €7 billion in expansion investments by 2030.
Other tech giants like Microsoft are investing significantly in European data centers and AI. Microsoft pledged $2 billion in February for AI-focused data centers in Spain.
Additionally, Microsoft’s investment in Greece, similar to Data4’s project, was announced in 2020 and recently received ministerial approval.