Data Centres

Digital Realty collaborates with Vodafone Greece

Digital Realty, a provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data centre, colocation, and interconnection systems, has announced a collaboration with Vodafone Greece, a telecommunications, IoT, and 5G connectivity provider, to enhance Crete’s digital infrastructure and connectivity. This collaboration, according to Digital Realty, "underscores both companies’ commitment to fostering Crete’s emergence as a key connectivity hub in the Mediterranean." As part of this collaboration, Vodafone Greece will establish a point of presence (PoP) at Digital Realty’s HER1 data centre in Heraklion, the first carrier-neutral interconnection point for all cable landing stations in Crete. The facility will host customers’ submarine line terminating equipment, creating a link in the island’s connectivity ecosystem. Vodafone Greece intends to deploy a dual-route connectivity system between HER1 and its cable landing station in Tympaki in southern Crete to enhance capacity and resilience. These routes will also serve as backhaul services for major subsea cables landing in Crete by connecting to the HER1 data centre. Connectivity between Chania and Heraklion should also become more robust due to the Vodafone Greece terrestrial network, enhancing the infrastructure for cloud service providers, large enterprises, internet service providers, content delivery networks, and carriers. These developments also supplement Vodafone Greece’s existing connectivity services between Athens and Crete through Chania in the west and Sitia in the east. “This collaboration with Vodafone Greece marks a transformative moment for Crete’s digital infrastructure,” comments Alexandros Bechrakis, Managing Director of Digital Realty in Greece. “Our HER1 data centre is designed to establish Crete as a strategic digital hub which requires close collaboration with local, regional, and global partners. By supporting critical landing cables and enhancing regional connectivity, we’re reinforcing Crete’s position as a gateway to Southern Europe and beyond. This collaboration with Vodafone Greece reflects our shared commitment to delivering world-class digital services and infrastructure that empower local communities and businesses.” Nikos Plevris, Chief Network Officer, Vodafone Greece, states, “Our partnership with Digital Realty is another critical step in what we have managed to implement through the construction and operation of our submarine cable landing station in Tympaki, Crete. Having agreements in place on the interconnection for some of the largest subsea fibre optic cables in the world, we connect the country with the rest of the world, bolstering Greece's digital economy and offering new opportunities for our communities, partners, and the entire country. [By] combining our infrastructure in the area with Digital Realty’s, it is certain that we will build something truly impactful, and we are looking forward to seeing the results of this collaboration." For more from Digital Realty, click here.

Global data centres face rising climate risks, XDI report warns

Data centres are facing sharply rising risks from climate-change-driven extreme weather, according to a major new report released today by XDI (Cross Dependency Initiative), a company which is concerned with physical climate risk analysis. The company argues that without urgent investment in emissions reduction and physical adaptation, operators could face soaring insurance premiums, growing disruption to operations, and billions in damages. XDI’s 2025 Global Data Centre Physical Climate Risk and Adaptation Report offers a global picture of how extreme weather threatens the backbone of the digital economy. The report ranks leading data centre hubs by their exposure to eight climate hazards — flooding, tropical cyclones, forest fires, coastal inundation, and others — now and into the future and under different climate scenarios. It is based on analysis of nearly 9,000 operational and planned data centres worldwide. The report quantifies how targeted structural adaptations (changes to the physical design and construction of data centres) can dramatically improve resilience, reduce risk, and help curb escalating insurance costs. “Data centres are the silent engine of the global economy. But as extreme weather events become more frequent and severe, the physical structures underpinning our digital world are increasingly vulnerable,” says Karl Mallon, Founder of XDI (Cross Dependency Initiative). "When so much depends on this critical infrastructure and with the sector growing exponentially, operators, investors, and governments can’t afford to be flying blind. Our analysis helps them see the global picture, identify where resilience investments are most needed, and chart pathways to reduce risk." Key insights from the report include that: • Data centre hubs in New Jersey, Hamburg, Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Moskva, Bangkok, and Hovestaden are all in the top 20 for climate risk by 2050, with 20-64% of data centres in these hubs projected to be at high risk of physical damage from climate change hazards by 2050. • APAC is the fastest growing region for data centre growth in the world, yet it also carries some of the greatest risk, with more than one in ten data centres already at high risk in 2025, becoming more than one in eight by 2050. • Insurance costs for data centres globally could triple or quadruple by 2050 without decisive mitigation and adaptation. • Targeted investments in resilience could save billions of dollars in damages annually. The report highlights that climate risk varies dramatically by location, even between data centres in the same country or region. This kind of like-for-like, jurisdiction-spanning analysis, XDI argues, is critical for guiding smarter investment decisions in new and existing data centres - helping asset owners, operators, and investors allocate capital where it will have the greatest impact on protecting long-term value. The report also reinforces that decarbonisation and adaptation must go hand in hand to safeguard the digital economy for the long term. Adaptation is essential, but the most resilient data centre is only as secure as the infrastructure it depends on — such as roads, water supply, and communications links — which are themselves vulnerable to climate hazards. Without ambitious and sustained investment in emissions reduction to limit the severity of climate change, no amount of structural hardening will fully protect these critical assets.

Debunking the myth: The world is not running out of data centres

Concerns about resource depletion are not new to economists. From fears of "peak oil" to anxieties over food shortages, history has shown that as demand surges, supply mechanisms adapt accordingly. Today, a similar narrative is emerging around data centres. A closer examination, however, reveals that, despite burgeoning demands, the industry is not approaching a resource-constrained peak. Instead, data centre infrastructure is evolving dynamically to meet increasing needs, driven by advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), cloud computing, and the expansion strategies of hyperscale companies. Daniele Viappiani, Portfolio Manager at GC1 Ventures, explores this further: The evolution of data centres: Scaling to meet demand Data centres are intricate ecosystems requiring stable electricity, advanced cooling systems, robust connectivity, and stringent security measures. While, theoretically, they can be constructed anywhere, optimal locations are chosen based on factors such as minimal natural disaster risk, proximity to essential infrastructure, and favourable environmental conditions. The industry is witnessing the emergence of massive, highly sophisticated data centres alongside smaller, modular facilities. These two complementary approaches combine to suitably address growing demand. Modular data centres are prefabricated units that offer rapid deployment and scalability, addressing the need for swift expansion. According to reports, the global market for modular data centres is projected to grow significantly, reaching $93.3 billion (£68.6 billion) by 2030, driven by the demand for plug-and-play solutions that can be deployed quickly to meet immediate needs. Addressing challenges: Labour, construction, and utilisation The complexity of data centres requires highly specialised labour, including engineers, electricians, and network experts, who are currently in high demand. Constructing large-scale data centres is a capital-intensive endeavour with lengthy lead times. While smaller facilities may take months, large centres can require up to three years to become operational.​ Despite this, existing data centres often operate below full capacity, allowing for short-term scaling. Many facilities are intentionally over-provisioned to manage utilisation peaks and accommodate growth, often running at under 50% utilisation. This design allows for the addition of servers or workloads within hours or days, provided the physical infrastructure supports it. Upgrading older servers to more efficient models can further enhance capacity, though limitations are primarily dictated by electrical and cooling infrastructures. Power constraints and regulatory hurdles Rapid expansion faces obstacles such as power grid limitations and zoning regulations, particularly in urban areas. The surge in electricity demand from data centres has led utilities to grapple with unprecedented power requests. For instance, Oncor Electric in Texas, USA, received requests totalling 119 gigawatts, far exceeding its current capacity. Utilities are responding by increasing capital spending and exploring infrastructure expansions, though challenges like overbuilding and rising construction costs persist. Zoning regulations also pose challenges, as finding suitable locations near physical infrastructure without overwhelming existing systems requires careful planning. In response, the industry is adopting innovative strategies, including the repurposing existing real estate such as old malls and factories, and expanding into emerging markets in Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Sustainability initiatives: Embracing renewable and nuclear energy With high energy consumption, sustainability becomes a priority, so investments in renewable energy, passive cooling, and nuclear power to overcome grid limitations are key. In 2024, renewable sources like wind, hydro, and solar provided a record 32% of global electricity, surpassing the 30% share in 2023. This growth aligns with the data centre industry's shift towards greener operations. Some companies are exploring nuclear power as a solution to provide massive, always-on power, free of carbon emissions. The US Department of Energy has identified federal sites, including major national laboratories, as potential locations for data centres aimed at accelerating AI development, leveraging existing energy infrastructure and the potential for expedited permitting, especially for nuclear energy projects. The AI boom: Assessing future demand The proliferation of AI has exacerbated concerns over increases in data centre demand. Training large models requires substantial computational power, contributing to a significant rise in electricity consumption. However, it's also possible that we may see diminishing marginal returns from using more data centres for AI and, eventually, demand growth could slow down. Emerging AI models requiring fewer processing chips may reduce future power needs, indicating that while current demand is high, future growth may stabilise. While concerns about data centre shortages are understandable given the rapid advancements in technology and increasing digital demands, the industry is demonstrating resilience and adaptability. Through the development of both massive and modular data centres, strategic location planning, investment in sustainable energy sources, and continuous innovation, the data centre sector is well-equipped to scale efficiently. The challenges remain significant, but with proactive strategies and technological advancements, the industry is poised to meet the demands of the digital era without approaching a resource-constrained peak.

EfficiencyIT announces partnership with MSSL

EfficiencyIT, a technology and data centre company providing consultancy, design and build services, and maintenance support, has today announced a formal partnership with Michael Smith Switchgear (MSSL), a UK-based manufacturer of sustainable electrical control and distribution equipment. With the intention to meet soaring demand for secure, scalable, and eco-conscious modular AI infrastructure in the UK and Europe, the alliance unites EfficiencyIT’s data centre engineering experience with MSSL’s switchgear manufacturing and installation capabilities. Building on EfficiencyIT’s ModularDC solutions and aligning with the UK Government’s recently published AI Opportunities Action Plan, the partnership seeks to help organisations across the governmental, enterprise, and life sciences sectors deploy resilient, scalable AI compute environments while achieving increases in sustainability. By collaborating from concept to delivery, EfficiencyIT and MSSL aim to reduce the time-to-deployment, cost, and environmental impact typically associated with accelerated computing infrastructure for HPC (high-performance computing) and artificial intelligence (AI) workloads. A partnership founded on sustainability Both EfficiencyIT and MSSL place an emphasis on sustainable innovation. EfficiencyIT holds PlanetMark accreditation and was recently recognised by its partner, Schneider Electric, as one of 16 EcoXpert partners globally for its sustainability impact. In recognition of its ongoing engagement in sustainable critical infrastructure operations, the company was also awarded a Royal Warrant of Appointment into the Place and Quality of Supplier of IT Infrastructure Services by His Majesty King Charles III, recognising the company's delivery of sustainable IT infrastructure to the British Royal Household. MSSL, meanwhile, is also a Schneider Electric Sustainability Impact Award winner and has spearheaded multiple sustainability initiatives in recent years, halving its carbon footprint, introducing renewable energy programs, and achieving carbon-neutral status for the first time in 2022. This track record has resulted in the company’s recognition through accolades and government case studies, most notably during COP26. Most recently, MSSL was honoured with The King’s Award for Enterprise for Sustainable Development, highlighting its long-term commitment to sustainability in manufacturing. The new channel partnership aims to give customers access to prefabricated data centre systems manufactured and integrated in the UK, including next-generation UPS, low-voltage (LV) switchgear, and power equipment. Additionally, by sourcing and manufacturing ModularDC systems in the UK, both companies aim to help customers decarbonise the supply chain by reducing Scope 3 emissions, strengthening local supply networks, and aligning with the UK government’s call for “sufficient, secure and sustainable infrastructure foundations for AI.” A shared commitment to decarbonisation “As demand for AI infrastructure intensifies, the data centre industry cannot afford to compromise on security, sustainability, or resilience,” argues Nick Ewing, Managing Director at EfficiencyIT. “By formalising our partnership with Michael Smith Switchgear, we’re ensuring that organisations across the public and private sectors can rapidly scale their data centre and AI compute environments without compromising on environmental commitments, supply chain security, or regulatory compliance.” Sean Smith, Managing Director at MSSL, comments, “EfficiencyIT shares our passion for environmental stewardship and supporting UK-based manufacturing with the highest standards of sustainability. Our combined experience provides a powerful proposition for customers looking to accelerate their AI and high-powered data centre, energy, or electrical projects, and we look forward to collaborating to help meet and exceed these ambitions.” For more from EfficiencyIT, click here.

nLighten appoints Andreas Herden as MD for Germany

nLighten, a European edge data centre platform, has appointed Andreas Herden as Managing Director for Germany. In his new role, Andreas will lead the strategic development of the German market and drive the expansion of the local data centre network. Andreas brings decades of experience in the data centre and digital infrastructure sector. Prior to joining nLighten, he served as Senior Vice President of Sales for Continental Europe at Green Mountain. His career also includes acting as Chief Sales Officer at Lefdal Mine Data Centers and various positions at Equinix, including Sales Director for the automotive, finance, and manufacturing sectors. This background, the company believes, has solidified his reputation as a recognised industry expert. At nLighten, Andreas will focus on strengthening the company’s presence in Germany’s industrial and metropolitan regions to support its mission to deliver sustainable, high-performance edge infrastructure. Commenting on his appointment, Andreas says, “nLighten’s data centres are not only state-of-the-art from a technological perspective, but also follow a holistic approach that balances customer needs and environmental requirements. This is exactly what the market needs and where I want to make an impact. By creating an ecosystem that combines connectivity, performance, and sustainability at a new standard, nLighten is truly ahead of the pack.” Harro Beusker, CEO and Co-Founder of nLighten, adds, “We are delighted to welcome Andreas to our leadership team. His extensive experience and strategic vision will allow him to play a key role in expanding our presence in Germany and realising our vision of a sustainable, sovereign digital infrastructure.” For more from nLighten, click here.

Puglia 'Data Center Valley' set to become biggest AI hub in Europe

Puglia, a region of southern Italy located at the 'heel' of the peninsula, is seeking to redefine the digital landscape of the Mediterranean with the creation of the Puglia Data Center Valley, a development program that brings together three AI hyperscale data centre projects totalling more than 2 GW of power capacity. Data centre company Adriatic DC’s plans include the redevelopment of Bari’s former Manifattura Tabacchi industrial area into a 200 MW data centre, the development of a second 500 MW greenfield facility in Brindisi’s industrial area, and the Adriatic DC Hub, a 1.5 GW greenfield campus spanning 2,000 acres. Said hub is set to become the largest data centre complex currently under development in Europe and among the largest in the world, on par with the Stargate campus in the United States. This initiative arises from an unprecedented global demand for computing power - driven by the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) - and aims to position Southern Italy at the heart of this epochal transformation. The overall strategy rests on solid infrastructural foundations. Puglia is the leading Italian region for electricity production from renewable sources, boasts operational international submarine digital backbones, and will soon be connected to the new Italy–Albania energy cable, designed to further strengthen the flow of renewable energy along the Adriatic corridor. In this context, the Regional Government of Puglia has established an interdepartmental working group on data centres, tasked with effectively coordinating permitting processes, defining technical guidelines, and facilitating dialogue with local authorities, thereby offering operators guidance and a dedicated institutional channel. "The Puglia Data Center Valley was created to place Southern Italy and Southern Europe at the centre of the new geopolitics of artificial intelligence," states Lorenzo Avello, CEO of Adriatic DC. "Global demand for computing power is growing at record rates. Our goal is to build an industrial platform capable of attracting strategic investment to projects with reliable execution timelines, generating skilled employment, and strengthening both European digital sovereignty and national data security. "Puglia offers industrial land availability, energy networks targeted for major future development by the TSO, global submarine digital links, and a favourable institutional environment - a rare and unique mix in Europe. We are firmly convinced that the south can position itself in the new global chessboard of artificial intelligence.” The first construction sites are scheduled to break ground by the end of 2026, with an initial investment phase of approximately €2 billion (£1.72 billion) for the first project. However, estimates suggest that, once fully operational, the total investment across the three projects - including direct, indirect, and infrastructure-related components - could exceed €100 billion (£85.88 billion) - an unprecedented level of capital for Southern Italy. The anticipated impacts include thousands of direct and indirect jobs, as well as the creation of new industrial supply chains in the ICT sector, such as AI-as-a-Service and cybersecurity. In a Europe that must accelerate toward strategic autonomy, digital resilience, and decarbonisation, the Puglia Data Center Valley seeks to position itself as an active platform, ready to engage with stakeholders in the global technological transformation.

Data centre district heating project delivered at QMUL

Schneider Electric, a player in energy management and automation, and its EcoXpert Partner, Advanced Power Technology (APT), have delivered a data centre modernisation project at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL). Together, the companies have created a platform for heat recovery at the University’s data centre, enabling waste heat from the facility to be connected to a campus-wide district heating network, providing heating and hot water for the buildings and student accommodation nearby. The project both reduces the campus' scope one CO2 emissions - in line with Queen Mary’s sustainability goals - and has also allowed it to reduce the costs of its energy bills. Furthermore, the new energy-efficient data centre has provided the university with increased resiliency and processing power for its on-premises, large-scale research and intensive computing applications, helping it to provision for future expansion. Queen Mary University of London is ranked 94th in the world in the 2025-26 edition of the US News and World Report Best Global Universities rankings, and today has over 32,000 students from more than 170  nationalities and 5,700 staff - with nine Nobel Prize winners among its former staff and students. It says it is committed to conducting "world-leading research" and adheres to the principles of sustainable development across all areas of its operational and academic activities. Its vision is to create and oversee the evolution of a large-scale distributed computing infrastructure needed to maintain the UK’s position as a world leader in particle physics. As such, the university is a participant in the Grid for Particle Physics (GridPP) project, a collaborative effort among particle physicists, computer scientists, and engineers to analyse data generated by high-energy physics experiments, such as those conducted at the world-famous Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN in Switzerland. The size, scale, and importance of this work means that the university must operate and maintain a highly-efficient, on-premises data centre - ensuring it meets the technical requirements of existing and future research developments, especially those requiring High Throughput Computing (HTC) applications. Prior to the modernisation project, Queen Mary’s data centre was experiencing reliability, scalability, and availability issues which required manual, on-site interventions to fix. It was also becoming outdated and its operations were, at times, impacted due to a build-up of heat in its server racks from its inefficient cooling systems. Future research computing may also have been hindered due to the data centre’s hosting limitations. The refresh was, therefore, vital to improve and stabilise day-to-day operations. In addition, its proximity to the campus’ district heating network presented an opportunity for a new solution be designed and implemented to bring the data centre in line with the university’s sustainability goals. Schneider Electric’s data centre, power, and cooling solutions were already installed across Queen Mary’s estate, so when it came to the plans to upgrade its operations, the university directly sought help from Schneider Electric’s partner ecosystem. Schneider Electric’s long-standing EcoXpert Partners, Advanced Power Technology (APT), an independent supplier of critical power and cooling systems, was selected to help Queen Mary meet its modernisation and sustainability goals. Key to the strategy was the integration of components including Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Row Data Centre system. It also incorporated APC NetShelter Racks, APC NetBotz environmental monitoring equipment, InRow cooling, and EcoStruxure Data Centre Expert software. The new configuration provided by APT, according to Schneider Electric, delivered a more energy-efficient cooling solution and enabled the heat recovery to support the university’s sustainability strategy – allowing Queen Mary to transfer waste heat and reuse it directly for heating and hot water across various buildings, including student accommodation, via a district heating system. Professor Jonathan Hays, Queen Mary University of London, comments, “The support we've had from APT and Schneider Electric has been unparalleled. Both companies came together to help us develop an exciting and innovative project which would enable us to provision for the future. The biggest impact is that we were able to deliver on what we promised while improving our sustainability. The new data centre is more reliable and efficient than ever and, through the heat recovery, we have significantly reduced our spending on heating and hot water while gaining enhanced reputational benefits from taking a lead on sustainability within our data centre operations.” “The project at Queen Mary demonstrates how digital infrastructure can be a catalyst for net zero, allowing today’s organisations to benefit from the power of advanced computing,” adds Mark Yeeles, Vice President, Secure Power division, Schneider Electric UK & Ireland. “By combining innovative engineering with sustainable data centre solutions, the university has developed an enhanced infrastructure platform that will meet its research computing requirements while supporting its sustainability strategy.” “Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Data Centre solutions were essential to help Queen Mary bring together its power, cooling, racks, and management systems, and support the deployment of its high-density IT equipment needed for its research,” claims John Andrew, Technical Sales Manager, APT. “This approach also created a platform to support its sustainability objectives via heat reuse, while enabling the University to act proactively and preventatively to intercept and remediate potential future issues.” For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Reinforce cooling to avoid summer downtime, operators urged

Off the back of unseasonably high spring temperatures, data centre operators are being encouraged to prepare for the summer heat by working with specialist partners to supplement cooling in emergencies, maintenance, and upgrades. The callout comes from temporary power generation and temperature control company Aggreko, which has warned that the combination of rising temperatures and ageing infrastructure could significantly impact uptime on industrial, commercial, and retail sites across the UK. Temperatures exceeding 25°C are now becoming increasingly common throughout the nation, placing older generations of equipment, which aren’t designed to operate in these ranges, at risk of overheating and subsequently failing. The chances of breakdowns are drastically raised if equipment hasn’t been properly maintained, with blocked condenser coils potentially forcing a system to overwork to the point of compressor failure. In the data centre sector, even a brief failure in cooling systems could lead to catastrophic consequences. Without adequate temperature control, overheating can lead to hardware damage, data loss, and service outages, resulting in severe financial penalties. As temperatures this year have already reached over 29°C, Chris Smith, Head of Temperature Control for UK and Ireland at Aggreko, has called upon data centre operators to assess their cooling capacity to ensure that critical operations remain uninterrupted. He says, “If recent temperatures are anything to go by, then this summer is set to bring even more extreme conditions capable of driving equipment to the point of failure. If facilities rely on ageing HVAC systems to keep processes ticking, then the risk of breakdowns during heatwaves only increases. “Working with a specialist in both HVAC and power can be the real difference maker. Doing so provides contractors with the opportunity to leverage specialist expertise and tailored solutions that address immediate cooling needs and safeguard operations against the risks posed by extreme temperatures.” Aggreko claims that with a 'thorough understanding of the challenges of critical temperature applications,' its team of technical experts can help determine the temporary and supplementary cooling, heating, and dehumidification solutions required based on a project, location, and temperature requirements. Its cooling provision spans industrial chillers ranging from 50kW to 1500kW, air conditioners in sizes from 50kW to 200kW, and cooling towers with single units from 2500kW or combined units for multi-megawatt projects. For more from Aggreko, click here.

Bitrise first mobile DevOps platform to launch data centre in EU

Bitrise, a mobile DevOps platform, today announced plans to launch a data centre in the Netherlands in a response to increased demand for data residency in the European Union (EU). The new data centre will be the first in the EU operated by a DevOps platform, aiming to provide businesses with a fully-hosted and managed solution to meet the stringent data security and compliance requirements of the region. Bitrise will invest $3 million (£2.2 million) in the project, supporting the anticipated 22% year-on-year growth in European data centre capacity in 2025 as the continent focuses on operational resilience and data sovereignty. “In an era of geopolitical volatility and increasing regulatory complexity, mobile innovation in Europe demands sovereignty, speed, and security,” announces Barnabás Birmacher, CEO and Co-founder of Bitrise. “By launching the first EU-hosted DevOps platform, Bitrise is giving customers total control over their data, ensuring compliance and empowering them to scale development faster and more securely.” This investment in an Amsterdam-based data centre marks a step forwards in enhancing support for EU customers. By replicating the data centre model used in the US, Bitrise intends to deploy the same high-performance Apple M4 and Linux-based infrastructure in Europe, allowing businesses to choose their data residency and meet risk and compliance requirements. This expansion is a direct response to the growing demand from EU-based companies and global brands operating in the region. By strengthening data security and sovereignty, customers should have access to the tools they need to scale development securely and stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. “With data sovereignty becoming a critical priority for European businesses, Bitrise’s move to launch an EU-based data centre couldn’t be more timely," comments Reza Malekzadeh, General Partner at Partech and Bitrise board member. "Bitrise is setting a new standard for DevOps in Europe by giving companies the ability to meet stringent regulatory requirements without compromising on speed or innovation.” Recent regulatory changes and international data transfer challenges have created a complex environment for companies operating across borders. The data centre market in Europe is estimated to grow by $291.7 billion (£214.3 billion) from 2024 to 2028, driven by demand for local data processing and storage solutions. European companies in security-sensitive and regulated industries often rely on cloud providers in the US or spend millions to build their own local infrastructure. This has created a major gap in the market for compliant, hosted solutions. “We recognise the critical need for sovereign hosting solutions for mobile CI/CD infrastructure in the EU,” Barnabás says. “This move not only strengthens our presence in Europe, but underscores our commitment to solving the complex challenges our partners face, allowing them to innovate and scale without compromise.” Bitrise’s Amsterdam data centre will, according to the company, emulate Bitrise’s existing infrastructure model, providing:• Access to the fastest Apple Silicon and Linux machines for iOS and Android.• Advanced physical and network security measures.• Full compliance with EU data protection standards.• High-speed connectivity to ensure rapid build times. The data centre will support all Bitrise products and services, aiming to allow customers to build, test, and automate their applications without source code ever leaving the EU. In contrast to the majority of DevOps providers with US-only hosting capabilities, Bitrise’s expansion, the company claims, creates a DevOps platform that caters to data residency and digital operational resilience requirements. “By filling this gap in the market, we’re addressing a critical need for businesses throughout the EU,” Barnabás continues. “Our ability to quickly deploy and scale infrastructure based on our successful US model allows us to move fast and establish a strong presence in this underserved market.”

Chemists create molecular magnet, boosting data storage by 100x

Scientists at The University of Manchester have designed a molecule that can remember magnetic information at the highest temperature ever recorded for this kind of material. In a boon for the future of data storage technologies, the researchers have made a new single-molecule magnet that retains its magnetic memory up to 100 Kelvin (-173 °C) – around the temperature of the moon at night. The finding, published in the journal Nature, is a significant advancement on the previous record of 80 Kelvin (-193 °C). While still a long way from working in a standard freezer, or at room temperature, data storage at 100 Kelvin could be feasible in huge data centres, such as those used by Google. If perfected, these single-molecule magnets could pack vast amounts of information into incredibly small spaces – possibly more than three terabytes of data per square centimetre. That’s around half a million TikTok videos squeezed into a hard drive that’s the size of a postage stamp. The research was led by The University of Manchester, with computational modelling led by the Australian National University (ANU). David Mills, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at The University of Manchester, comments, “This research showcases the power of chemists to deliberately design and build molecules with targeted properties. The results are an exciting prospect for the use of single-molecule magnets in data storage media that is 100 times more dense than the absolute limit of current technologies. “Although the new magnet still needs cooling far below room temperature, it is now well above the temperature of liquid nitrogen (77 Kelvin), which is a readily available coolant. So, while we won’t be seeing this type of data storage in our mobile phones for a while, it does make storing information in huge data centres more feasible.” Magnetic materials have long played an important role in data storage technologies. Currently, hard drives store data by magnetising tiny regions made up of many atoms all working together to retain memory. Single-molecule magnets can store information individually and don’t need help from any neighbouring atoms to retain their memory, offering the potential for incredibly high data density. But, until now, the challenge has always been the incredibly cold temperatures needed in order for them to function. The key to the new magnets’ success is the unique structure, with the element dysprosium located between two nitrogen atoms. These three atoms are arranged almost in a straight line – a configuration predicted to boost magnetic performance, but now realised for the first time. Usually, when dysprosium is bonded to only two nitrogen atoms it tends to form molecules with more bent or irregular shapes. In the new molecule, the researchers added a chemical group called an alkene that acts like a molecular pin, binding to dysprosium to hold the structure in place. The team at the Australian National University developed a new theoretical model to simulate the molecule’s magnetic behaviour to allow them to explain why this particular molecular magnet performs so well compared to previous designs. Now, the researchers will use these results as a blueprint to guide the design of even better molecular magnets.