Data4 (European data center operator) has announced the launch of its largest data center campus to date, a USD 5.35 billion development on a former industrial site in Escaudain, Northern France, intended to deliver 700 megawatts of capacity and serve as a cornerstone of what the company is calling an "AI Valley" in Northern Europe.

The announcement was made six months after Data4 was selected as the exclusive partner for the redevelopment of the site, known as the Parc des Soufflantes.

Feasibility studies conducted with local stakeholders in the intervening period confirmed that the conditions were in place to proceed with a major digital infrastructure hub in the region.

Scale and Strategic Position

Spanning 33 hectares, the Escaudain campus will be developed over multiple phases, with four next-generation data centers planned for the site. At full buildout, the 700 MW campus will represent the largest project ever undertaken by Data4, surpassing the company's existing hub near Paris, which was developed on former Alcatel and Nokia industrial sites and now stands at 500 MW, placing it among the largest data center facilities in Europe.

The location was chosen for its position at the intersection of major European data exchange markets, sitting at a crossroads connecting Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris.

Data4 cited access to a large talent pool and reliable low-carbon energy resources as additional factors in selecting the site. The company characterized the project as an extension of the digital corridor surrounding Paris and a contribution to broader Northern European digital infrastructure.

Olivier Micheli, President and CEO of Data4, said the region's connectivity and communications networks made it highly strategic. "With the support of national, regional and local stakeholders, we will help revitalize the area through the digital industry while building the sovereign, sustainable and competitive infrastructure that Europe increasingly needs," he said.

Responding to AI Infrastructure Demand

Data4 framed the Escaudain project explicitly around the accelerating demand for computing power driven by artificial intelligence adoption. The rapid expansion of AI workloads, the company said, is creating unprecedented requirements for data processing and hosting capacity that existing European infrastructure is under pressure to meet.

The company tied the project to Europe's ambitions around digital sovereignty, arguing that expanding data center capacity within European borders is becoming a strategic priority.

Data4 stated that developing large-scale infrastructure on European soil is essential to supporting the growth of digital services while reinforcing the continent's long-term technological autonomy as cloud adoption continues to accelerate.

The four data centers planned for the campus are described as next-generation facilities designed to meet the evolving requirements of cloud computing and artificial intelligence workloads.

Industrial Regeneration at the Core

The Escaudain site represents a deliberate continuation of a model Data4 has previously applied near Paris, where the company converted former telecommunications manufacturing sites into large-scale digital infrastructure. The Parc des Soufflantes, a historic industrial location in Northern France, will undergo a similar transformation under the new project.

Data4 said the development is expected to contribute significantly to the economic transformation of the wider region, attracting investment, supporting skills development and creating opportunities tied to the digital economy. Once fully operational, the campus is projected to support approximately 2,400 permanent jobs.

Regional and local authorities were involved in the feasibility phase of the project, and Data4 described the initiative as having the support of national, regional, and local stakeholders throughout its development.

Sustainability and Training Commitments

Data4 stated that environmental considerations have been integrated into the Escaudain campus design from the outset. The project will make use of low-carbon concrete in construction, and the data centers will incorporate systems designed to recover and reuse waste heat generated by servers, with the aim of reducing the overall environmental footprint of the site.

Alongside the physical infrastructure, Data4 announced plans to establish a new center of excellence at the campus called Data4All. The initiative, developed in collaboration with schools, local organizations and innovation stakeholders, is intended to focus on training, research, and entrepreneurship in digital technologies.

Data4 described the center as a vehicle for fostering skills development, supporting research activity, and encouraging new business formation around the digital sector.

European Expansion Context

The Escaudain project sits within a larger investment plan that Data4 has outlined for the European market. The company currently operates ten campuses across six European countries and has stated plans to invest more than USD 21.4 billion across Europe by 2030. The USD 5.35 billion committed to the Northern France campus represents a substantial portion of that broader continental strategy.

Data4 described its overall approach as combining technological innovation, industrial redevelopment and regional economic growth, positioning the Escaudain campus as an illustration of how European investment in digital infrastructure is being structured to support the next generation of cloud and AI services.

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