The announcement by US President Donald Trump to invest up to $500 billion in America’s AI infrastructure sets a new benchmark for technology funding and underscores the global race for dominance in the field of artificial intelligence (AI).
This is a wake-up call for Europe and Germany: Those who fail to act now risk permanently in falling behind and becoming mere spectators in the competition among technological superpowers. Digital sovereignty is therefore not only a technological goal, but a strategic necessity to secure Europe’s independent ability to act.
A key component for success in the AI sector is the rapid expansion of digital infrastructures, especially data centres, emphasises eco Chair of the Board, Oliver Süme: “Without high-performance data centres and Internet Exchanges, the enormous potential of AI remains a mere vision: AI development and application require a scalable, resilient and flexible data centre infrastructure to process the immense amounts of data.”
IW study proves spillover effects of data centres
The study “Spillover Effects of Data Centres: The Backbone of the AI Revolution in Germany”, conducted by the German Economic Institute (IW) on behalf of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, which was founded under the umbrella of the eco – Association of the Internet Industry, shows that around 5.9 million jobs in Germany depend on cloud-based business models and that the economic value added by digital infrastructures amounts to approximately 250 billion Euro.
The development and implementation of a Europe-wide strategy for digital infrastructures is therefore no longer optional, but absolutely necessary, as asserted by the eco Association. According to the Alliance study, 55% of companies that use data centres see positive effects on their innovation activities, while 72% report additional revenues through improved processes.
“Politics and business must act together now to prioritise the expansion of data centres and cloud solutions,” says Oliver Süme. “Public and private funds must be pooled to build the necessary infrastructure in record time. At the same time, approval procedures need to be radically simplified and tax incentives created to make the vision of European data autonomy a reality.” A strong focus on the location of data centres within Europe is crucial to ensure sovereignty over sensitive data and to strengthen Europe’s technological independence. “Only through decisive action can we fully realise the enormous opportunities of AI and remain competitive globally with countries like the USA and China,” Süme concludes.
