Data centre investments show that the AI space race relies on scalable storage

AI is power- and data-hungry and eats up space fast. The infrastructure supporting AI here in Europe needs to be ready for growth.

Training data needs a fast spaceship

AI models and applications, especially large-scale neural networks, require massive datasets for training. For instance, generative models such as ChatGPT process billions (or trillions) of tokens during training and translate terabytes or even petabytes of data. These vast datasets need to be stored and accessed at high speeds for smooth model training. The AI space race has taken off, and in the past few years, huge amounts of fuel have been poured into the spaceships that makes it all possible — data centres.

Scalable storage provides a platform where data can be stored, managed, and accessed quickly, enabling AI algorithms to retrieve and process information efficiently. Storage infrastructure must adapt as data requirements increase, and European companies need to be both efficient and fast to gain a competitive advantage.

Investments in data centres respond to AI growth

The need for high-performance and secure infrastructure is increasing, and companies training domain-specific AIs or leveraging AI for various tasks require dedicated storage solutions. The rapid growth in AI demand has prompted major investments in data centres worldwide.

Major technology companies are significantly expanding their AI capabilities. For example, Microsoft, Meta, Google, and Amazon collectively invested $125 billion in AI data centres in 2024. Additionally, between 2019 and 2024, data centre construction spending nearly doubled, reaching almost $30 billion by October 2024. While American hyperscalers are expanding, Europe-focused solutions are growing too.