Earlier this week, on November 11, 2025, Microsoft and Google unveiled massive data center investments that could reshape Europe's AI landscape.
Microsoft's $10B Venture in Portugal
Microsoft will invest $10 billion in a new AI-focused data center near Sines, Portugal, starting in early 2026. In partnership with Britain's Nscale and Start Campus, the site will house 12,600 of Nvidia's latest AI chips, powered by renewable energy and positioned at a major submarine cable hub linking Europe and the Americas.
- Investment: $10 billion
- Compute: 12,600 Nvidia AI chips
- Partners: Nscale, Start Campus
- Go-live: Early 2026
Nscale product director Daniel Bathurst says demand in the AI field, particularly over the last five months, has become quite crazy, turning this expansion into a race against time.
Google's €5.5B Boost in Germany
On the same day, Google announced its largest-ever investment in Germany: 5.5 billion euros (about $6.4 billion) by 2029. Plans include a new data center in Hesse, expansions in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, and a suite of green initiatives such as wind and solar energy purchases and a heat recovery project that redirects excess data center heat to local communities.
- Investment: €5.5 billion by 2029
- Locations: Hesse, Berlin, Frankfurt, Munich
- Sustainability: Wind, solar and heat recovery
- Jobs: Around 9,000 per year
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz hailed these moves as a key driver of economic growth and a reinforcement of Germany's global investment appeal.
With Europe pushing to secure its place in the AI era, these mega-investments by Microsoft and Google signal a new wave of cloud capacity, green energy integration and high-tech job creation across the continent.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
