Data centres are facilities providing computing power and storage capacity, on which cloud services and more demanding artificial intelligence models run. They are relevant to companies from two sides. As a customer, a company has to consider where its data is physically processed, since a location outside the European Union brings with it requirements for the transfer of personal data and sometimes also restrictions in public procurement. As an investor, the construction or expansion of a data centre may fall under investment aid, with energy intensity, use of waste heat, and grid connection being assessed. European programmes support the building of computing capacity as well as making it accessible to smaller businesses and research, which is a practical option for companies without their own infrastructure.
See also: Cloud AI platforms, Data transfers outside the EU, Grants for Data Infrastructure.
