Selective growth reshapes the EMEA data centre landscape
The EMEA data centre sector continues to expand as AI adoption, cloud demand, and sovereign digital strategies accelerate infrastructure investment across the region. However, the market is entering a new phase defined by selective growth, where power availability, grid access, regulatory complexity, and sustainability requirements increasingly determine where new capacity can be delivered.
Regional highlights
- Development pipeline: Total pipeline capacity now approaches 15GW, with planned capacity rising sharply as operators secure long-term growth opportunities.
- Core market concentration: Powerhouse markets—including the FLAPD hubs and Milan—continue to account for a significant share of both operational capacity and future supply.
- Regional diversification: Investment and development activity is increasingly shifting toward secondary and emerging markets offering improved power access, scalable land availability, and faster grid connection timelines.
The Cushman & Wakefield EMEA Data Centre Maturity Index tracks 33 data centre markets to compare their current maturity status, as well as their growth potential, over the next decade.