Emmanuel Becker, CEO of Mediterra DataCenters, was recently featured as a guest on Caffè Affari, where he shared key insights into the evolution of the data center market in Italy and across Southern Europe.

During the interview, Becker highlighted the strong momentum of Italy’s digital infrastructure sector, describing it as one of the fastest-growing markets in Europe. Despite structural challenges such as higher energy costs compared to other countries like Spain, France and Portugal, Italy continues to attract significant investment thanks to the strength and reliability of its infrastructure and its growing role in the European digital ecosystem.

A central theme of the discussion was the current geographic concentration of data centers. Today, over 70% of Italy’s approximately 330 professional data centers are located in Lombardy, particularly in the Milan area, driven by high population density, economic activity, and the presence of digital players.

While this concentration has fueled rapid growth, Becker emphasized the importance of expanding digital infrastructure beyond a single region. Drawing parallels with major European hubs such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam and Paris, he noted that excessive concentration can lead to constraints related to energy availability and land use. For Italy, the next step is to support a more balanced development of digital platforms across the country, aligning infrastructure with broader economic and demographic realities.

The interview also explored the ecosystem behind data center investments. Becker underlined that demand is primarily driven by global digital service providers — including cloud, content, AI, connectivity and security players — whose services rely on robust and scalable infrastructure. At the same time, the development of data centers requires significant capital, bringing institutional investors into the sector due to its long-term growth potential and attractive returns.

In closing, Becker stressed a critical success factor for the industry: expertise. As a highly complex and capital-intensive sector, data center development depends on specialized skills and deep technical knowledge. Ensuring that projects are led by experienced operators is essential to maintaining quality, reliability and long-term sustainability.

Mediterra DataCenters continues to play an active role in supporting the development of resilient, distributed digital infrastructure across Southern Europe, contributing to a more balanced and future-ready digital landscape.

Watch the full interview