Trending 
Google has announced its largest-ever investment in Germany, pledging 5.5 billion euros ($6.4 billion) for a new data centre, expansion of existing facilities, and other projects aimed at boosting the country’s artificial intelligence capabilities.
The move comes as Europe seeks to catch up with AI leaders such as the United States and China.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz welcomed the investment, saying it would drive growth and reinforce Germany as “one of the most attractive places for investment in the world.” Google plans to complete the projects by 2029, including the construction of a new data centre and the expansion of an existing facility in Hesse to provide additional AI computing power.
The company also intends to expand its offices in Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich, alongside initiatives to cut greenhouse gas emissions. These include sourcing renewable wind and solar energy and a heat recovery project in which residents would reuse excess heat from a data centre. Google said the programme would support around 9,000 jobs annually.
“Google is deepening its roots in Germany, extending our investments in the country and creating new avenues for AI-driven transformation,” said Philipp Justus, Google’s country manager for Germany.
The announcement follows a similar investment last week by AI chipmaker Nvidia and Deutsche Telekom, which unveiled a one-billion-euro high-tech hub in Munich to accelerate AI adoption across the European industry.
Germany is rapidly expanding its digital infrastructure, with the country’s data centre computing capacity expected to grow by 70 per cent by 2030, according to the digital business association Bitkom. However, Europe still lags behind other regions, with last year’s total data centre capacity estimated at 16 gigawatts, compared with 48 in the US and 38 in China.
While the investments are widely welcomed, some have voiced concerns about reliance on US tech companies for sensitive technologies such as AI. Google sought to address these concerns by emphasising its “sovereign” cloud computing solutions, which allow clients to deploy AI while complying with European regulations and standards.
