All in for AI Gigafactories? These and other questions regarding the future of Germany as a data centre location were discussed at AllianceTalk by the panelists Henri Schmidt, Member of the German Bundestag, Johannes Schätzl, Member of the German Bundestag, Michael Schultz (Federal Ministry for Digital Transformation and Government Modernisation – BMDS) and Günter Eggers (NTT).
Earlier, Eggers had already provided an industry perspective on the topic from the perspective of the data centre industry. Robert Heinrich, Head of Division DWII at the BMDS, also gave an outlook on the German federal government’s data centre strategy.
The message of the evening was clear from policymakers, administrators and the industry alike: Germany must remain an attractive location for data centres. During the discussion, Eggers also drew attention to the necessary political decisions and current obstacles.
The focus on AI-based infrastructure is central, but it must not obscure the requirements for a resilient, high-performance and future-oriented infrastructure that also supports digitalisation beyond AI. Specific obstacles include the availability of sites and access to electricity, which must be addressed in a timely manner. On the one hand, this is to ensure the competitiveness of Germany as a location in the short and medium term, and on the other hand, to enable long-term development prospects and innovation flows.
The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany invited guests to the Quadriga Forum in Berlin for a panel discussion on 4 December. The industry initiative, with members from the digital infrastructure ecosystem, was founded in 2018 under the umbrella of the eco Association.
Find out more about the initiative at: https://digitale-infrastrukturen.net/en/
