Italy is preparing for a paradigm shift in the development of data centers, infrastructures that have become central to digital data management, artificial intelligence and technological sovereignty.
Driving this new phase is no longer only Northern Italy: the axis of growth is moving southwards, particularly towards Campania and Puglia, regions poised to become a strategic hub for the Mediterranean, with development rates exceeding 10%. In Campania alone, seven data centers are currently operational, including the Data for Med project in Caserta and Megaride, the data center dedicated to national cybersecurity and scientific research inaugurated in Naples at the San Giovanni a Teduccio university campus, funded with €50 million from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
From a regulatory perspective, the sector is supported by a newly introduced data center law, already approved by the Chamber of Deputies and now under review by the Senate, which for the first time provides an organic definition of what constitutes a data center and regulates its construction, development and expansion. The legislation recognizes data centers as strategic infrastructure of public interest, introducing simplified permitting procedures and linking the topic to energy, sustainability, cybersecurity and data protection, in line with the objectives of digital transition and artificial intelligence.
The challenge is no longer whether to build new data centers, but how to do so sustainably. In this respect, Southern Italy offers several competitive advantages, including the availability of redevelopable brownfield sites, a growing supply of renewable energy, and the strategic role of submarine cables connecting Italy’s coasts to major international digital hubs.
As emphasized by Luca Beltramino, President of IDA – the Italian Data Center Association, developing data centers in Italy is essential to ensure greater data sovereignty, reduce the environmental impact associated with the offshoring of digital services, and compete with other European and international markets. The ability to combine investment, energy sustainability and regulatory simplification will determine Italy’s—and particularly Southern Italy’s—role in the new global digital geography.
The full article is available here: La sfida dei data center, il digitale si sposta a Sud: «Hub chiave per il futuro»
