Data centers in Barcelona are set to generate 7 billion euros by 2025

By 2025, the capacity in data centers in Barcelona is expected to reach 173 MW, equalling an economic impact of 1,047 million euros. Thanks to the multiplier effect of this investment, its impact on Barcelona's GDP is projected to reach 7,235 million euros, positioning the city as an attractive digital hub connecting Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East through the Mediterranean. This information is according to the report "Barcelona: Digital Port of the Mediterranean (.PDF document)", by Digital Realty, DE-CIX and Foundry, with the support of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce.

“Barcelona is a clear hub for technological and digital entrepreneurship. The city is among the top 5 emerging ecosystems in the world and the 6th best ecosystem for technology companies”

Vicenç Hernández, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce in Barcelonès Nord

Share quote:

• X
• LinkedIn
• Facebook
• Whatsapp

Barcelona is rising as an alternative to traditional data center hubs like Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris. The data center market in these cities is reaching saturation, prompting the sector to seek new locations for expansion, and Barcelona is emerging as a magnetic option.

The study also forecasts the creation of 2,218 jobs in the sector by 2025, with a significant portion in construction, operation, and long-term roles. It emphasizes the need for increased public administration involvement to streamline processes, unlock data centers, and ensure efficient energy supply through a comprehensive review of electrical network planning.

Robert Assink, General Manager of Digital Realty in Spain, believes that "although Barcelona has not historically been an investment destination for data center providers, the arrival of submarine cables, the communications network, and the geographic location for data exchange in the Mediterranean are making it a redundancy center for Marseille".

Theresa Bobis, Regional Director of Southern Europe at DE-CIX, explains: "DE-CIX bet on Barcelona two and a half years ago because we believe in its clear digital future. Now, we see that the ecosystem is developing step by step, as we have seen in other metropolises around the world. Thanks to its strong economy and digital industry, the traffic is configured as a balanced combination of the different actors of the digital infrastructure: ISPs, content, companies, etc.".

Finally, Vicenç Hernández, President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce in Barcelonès Nord, stressed that "Barcelona, in addition to its geostrategic role, is a clear hub for technological and digital entrepreneurship. The city is among the top 5 emerging ecosystems in the world and the 6th best ecosystem for technology companies," said Hernández.

Barcelona is a destination for centers of technological excellence, is associated with innovation, and has the capacity to attract foreign talent and investment. In addition, the arrival of submarine cables connects the city directly to the rest of the continents of the Mediterranean arc.

This places Barcelona on the global connectivity map. The report also suggests that to achieve digital gateway status and become a hub for data exchange and digital services, an ecosystem of data centers, neutral points, cloud service providers, communications networks, system integrators, and consultants must be developed.

Source: Barcelona Chamber of Commerce