Overview
- Google detailed a €5.5 billion program for 2026–2029, its largest investment in Germany to date, to scale data‑centre and cloud capacity.
- The plan adds a new data centre in Dietzenbach near Frankfurt and expands the Hanau site, with office growth in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich to support services like Vertex AI and Gemini across Google’s 42‑region network.
- Sustainability measures include an extended 24/7 carbon‑free energy deal with Engie through 2030 and a heat‑recovery project with EVO that will supply hot water and heating to more than 2,000 nearby homes.
- Google says the initiative will support about 9,000 jobs per year, drew public backing from German leaders, and, according to officials, involves no confirmed state subsidies.
- To address sovereignty concerns, Google highlighted sovereign‑cloud options, even as researchers cautioned about long‑term dependence and noted Europe’s AI infrastructure still trails the U.S., despite parallel projects such as Nvidia–Deutsche Telekom’s €1 billion hub.