The EMEA region is projected to need over £422 billion in capital investment to fulfill the data center infrastructure commitments made so far, with £122 billion already announced in the first half of 2025. This substantial investment is driven by tech giants, especially those focused on AI, such as OpenAI, which alone may need to invest over $1 trillion to meet compute capacity targets.
The data center market in EMEA is experiencing significant growth, with the current operational data center stock valued at £226 billion and an expected 11.4% growth in 2025. The region has seen a surge in aggregate supply, surpassing 50GW, with over 11.3GW of live IT capacity. Major hubs like Paris, Frankfurt, London, Milan, and Dublin are witnessing rapid expansion and increased investment to meet the rising demand for data center services.
Despite the record levels of construction and planned supply, there is a notable squeeze on availability, with vacancy rates dropping in key hubs like Frankfurt, Dublin, Paris, London, and the UAE. Pre-leasing of future capacity is also a common trend, with over 55% of space under construction already pre-let. The demand for data center services from AI and cloud providers is outpacing the supply, highlighting the need for continued investment and expansion in the EMEA region.
