Ireland’s ‘distinctive’ data centre market makes it top for Europe, says new report

If you’re looking for a place to put your data, then Ireland may be the best port of call, according to a new report from BroadGroup.

The report, issued this morning, argued the Emerald Isle’s status in the EU, as well as its ‘low corporate tax environment’, make it an attractive proposition. Connectivity is also a strong point, with the first direct submarine cable system from Ireland to France – bypassing the UK – expected to be launched in 2019.

“Active government support for inward investment by hyperscales from companies such as Amazon and Microsoft has resulted in the construction of massive facilities around Dublin,” the company notes. “Even now authorities are seeking to identify potential land banks for new large scale data centre facilities in Ireland, which indicates that the supply of more space will continue to enter the market.”

While Amazon and Microsoft have facilities in Dublin, another company looking to move business over to Ireland is Apple. According to Silicon Republic, a court decision on the €850 million Apple data centre looking to be built in Athenry is expected later this week having been postponed due to a shortage of judges.

BroadGroup suggests that Dublin is somewhat overlooked in terms of clout compared with its European neighbours. The city is currently the seventh largest market by third party metres squared space in Europe, but the presence of webscales should account for Dublin to be re-classified as a tier 1 hub, alongside London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Frankfurt.

You can read the full report here (paid).