For the first time in 25 years, Google plans to set up a Data Center on its own on the national territory. The project, revealed by here Berry, concerns a field of 195 hectares in the area of Ozans, east of the agglomeration of Châteauroux. If he materializes, he could mark a new step in the European strategy of Google, faced with the rise of the requirements of digital sovereignty on the Old Continent. Google plans to invest $ 75 billion in global development in its infrastructure, in particular its datacenters and sub -mail cables. Google has invested 600 million euros in the construction of its latest data center in Belgium in the town of Saint Ghislain (photo çi below).
“This is good news for our territory, because it is a big name,” said Gil Avérous, mayor of Châteauroux and president of the agglomeration community. The agreement, which will be voted this Tuesday evening by the Community Council, provides for the sale of land at Tricolore Computing, a French subsidiary of Google. The company will have one year to confirm the purchase, finalize the project and initiate the first works.
A first foray into French soil
So far, Google had no owner infrastructure in France. The group mainly operates via partnerships or capacity rental with third-party cloud operators, notably in Île-de-France. The establishment of a data center in France would therefore be a first. In a press release, the company is prudent but confirms to study “the possibility of acquiring land in Châteauroux with a view to the potential expansion of our cloud infrastructure and data centers in France”.
An industrial and geopolitical issue
This choice of establishment is not trivial. By settling in Châteauroux, far from saturated metropolises, Google benefits from a large -scale land, controlled costs and active support from communities.
With the growing pressure exerted by the European institutions in terms of technological sovereignty, resilience of data processing chains, and regulatory compliance (Secnumcloud certification, future regulations on critical data), GAFAMs are forced to locate their capacities. Google, which already employs 600 people in its Belgian center, could thus Prepare a response to European regulatory fragmentation.
Energy, jobs, acceptability: the next questions
The site promises to be major, and its realization will spread out in several phases. The surface mobilized (195 hectares) suggests an evolutionary infrastructure. Local elected officials, who unanimously salute this announcement, insist on the benefits for employment, both in the construction phase and operations. But the Data Center, widely automated, generates few qualified direct jobs. Most of the training effects will therefore depend on the ability to create an extended territorial ecosystemincluding subcontractors, energy, training and security.
