From stone to algorithm: the renewal of the data center in the age of AI
Laurence Bouard • 11/05/2026
Cushman & Wakefield’s latest study highlights the profound transformation of data centers driven by generative artificial intelligence. The global market is expected to more than double by 2030, fueled by surging computing demand, particularly for inference workloads and large language models.
While the United States remains the dominant market, Europe and Asia-Pacific are rapidly expanding their development pipelines. AI-related demand could account for up to 90% of total data center usage by 2030.
France stands out thanks to its low-carbon energy mix and strong nuclear capacity, reinforcing its strategic role in Europe, with Paris emerging as a leading hub. Data centers are increasingly seen as a hybrid asset class between real estate and infrastructure, attracting growing investment flows projected to exceed €90 billion in France by 2035.