Data centers: Why Germany needs a chair for data center organization

What are the current challenges of digitalization in Germany?

Germany faces a fundamental problem: Despite annual investments of several billion euros in digitalization, artificial intelligence, and robotics, the country lacks adequate data center infrastructure. This discrepancy between digital ambition and the actual technical infrastructure is particularly evident in international comparisons. While Germany has an IT connected load of only 2.7 gigawatts, the USA, with 48 gigawatts, and China, with 38 gigawatts, are far ahead. This structural weakness not only threatens the competitiveness of the German economy but also the country's strategic independence in digital matters.

Although Germany boasts the largest digital infrastructure hub in Europe, with more than 2,000 data centers and an IT connected capacity of over 2,700 MW, this is still not enough to meet growing demands. Experts predict that demand for cloud services and AI applications will grow exponentially in the coming years, while capacity expansion is progressing significantly slower than necessary.

Why are data centers so important for modern society?

Data centers form the invisible backbone of modern digital society. Without them, neither cloud services nor AI applications, networked production facilities, nor data-driven business processes would function. They are the often-forgotten hubs of digitalization where everything converges—from simple email communication to complex industrial control systems.

The importance of data centers becomes particularly clear when considering their role as critical infrastructure. Their failure can paralyze critical infrastructure and have far-reaching social and economic impacts. If a data center fails, not only individual companies come to a standstill, but often entire industries or even basic social functions. This is demonstrated by regular outages even among established cloud providers, who, despite state-of-the-art technology, struggle with the challenges of highly available data center operations.

Data centers in Germany already consume approximately 20 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, corresponding to four percent of total electricity consumption. Transmission system operators expect this to increase dramatically to as much as 88 billion kilowatt-hours by 2045. These figures underscore the enormous importance of data centers for Germany's energy infrastructure and climate goals.

What are the geopolitical risks of the current situation?

Dependence on a few US providers poses a significant geopolitical risk. According to recent studies, Europe only has four percent of global AI capacity, while 70 percent is located in the US. This one-sided dependence makes Germany and Europe vulnerable to political decisions and trade conflicts that lie outside their own sphere of influence.

The scenario is no longer merely theoretical: Should geopolitical tensions lead to trade restrictions or punitive tariffs on digital services, Germany could face a sudden loss or drastic increase in the cost of central cloud infrastructure. This would massively impact administration, healthcare, energy supply, and industry, endangering the country's digital sovereignty.

In this context, digital sovereignty means the ability to operate critical digital infrastructures independently. It's not about complete isolation, but rather the strategic ability to remain capable of action in the event of a crisis and to set one's own priorities. A resilient digital infrastructure is a cornerstone of European innovation capacity, economic security, and technological sovereignty.

Why is the current research and training situation inadequate?

This is the core problem that Dr. Robert Scholderer addresses in his open letter to the federal ministries: Germany does not have a single university chair that systematically addresses the organization and further development of data centers. This gap in the academic landscape is particularly serious because data centers are highly complex ecosystems that must be designed to be energy-efficient, secure, resilient, and organizationally sustainable.

Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences has taken an important first step, offering the "Data Center Management – ​​Smart Infrastructure Operation" degree program since 2022. This program was developed in close collaboration with the Association of Innovative Data Centers and is intended to counteract the shortage of skilled workers in the industry. However, this is a more practice-oriented approach, which, while important, does not fully address the fundamental research deficits.

An optimal data center infrastructure that makes Germany less dependent on external providers requires scientific methods and qualified training, which only a university degree with a corresponding research component can provide. The complexity of the subject matter requires interdisciplinary approaches that comprehensively combine computer science, engineering, economics, supercomputing, and cybersecurity.

What specific research areas would a chair cover?

A chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization would cover several critical research areas. The initial focus would be on developing new models for security and compliance in accordance with the NIS 2 Directive. The NIS 2 Directive, which came into force on January 16, 2023, and had to be transposed into national law by October 2024, places significantly more stringent requirements on the cybersecurity of critical infrastructures.

The directive affects approximately 30,000 companies in Germany and introduces new obligations. Data centers, as critical infrastructures, must implement comprehensive security measures, conduct risk management, report incidents, and implement technical and organizational cybersecurity measures. A specialized chair could develop scientifically sound standards and procedures that go beyond mere regulatory compliance.

Another key research area would be the energy efficiency and sustainability of data centers. The Energy Efficiency Act already stipulates that new data centers must comply with certain power usage effectiveness values ​​and utilize waste heat. Data centers that begin operations after July 1, 2026, must utilize at least 10 percent of the waste heat generated, with this figure gradually increasing to 20 percent by 2028. Scientific research into optimal solutions to these challenges would be an important task of a corresponding chair.

How much investment is needed for adequate infrastructure?

The figures on investment requirements are impressive and illustrate the scale of the challenge. Germany must invest between €60 and €75 billion by 2030 to compete globally in AI infrastructure. For AI infrastructure and data centers alone, an investment volume of approximately €60 billion is missing by 2030 to close a capacity gap of 1.4 GW.

The Deloitte study "AI Infrastructure: How Germany Can Catch Up in the Global AI Race" shows that the capacity of high-performance data centers for AI applications in Germany must triple by 2030 – from the current 1.6 GW to 4.8 GW. However, only 0.7 GW is currently under construction and another 1.3 GW is under development, revealing a significant investment gap.

The high costs result not only from investments in hardware, but also from Germany's structural disadvantages. German data centers have approximately 12 percent higher construction costs than those in Amsterdam and 17 percent higher than those in Madrid. Furthermore, electricity prices in Germany are almost twice as high as in the US, with electricity costs accounting for up to 60 percent of a data center's total operating costs.

Currently, approximately €2.9 billion is invested annually in data center buildings and technical building equipment. Of this, approximately €2.2 billion goes into equipment and systems for air conditioning, power supplies, and other building technology. The annual investment volume in IT hardware, including servers, storage solutions, and network equipment, exceeds €10 billion.

What role does cybersecurity play in data centers?

Cybersecurity is a key aspect of data center operations, gaining in importance due to increasing digitalization and the growing threat landscape. Data centers are exposed to numerous threats, from physical and environmental hazards to sophisticated cyberattacks. These range from malware and phishing attacks to distributed denial-of-service attacks, which aim to overload data center networks and disrupt services.

The NIS 2 Directive significantly tightens the minimum requirements for IT security of critical infrastructures and affects significantly more companies than before. Security obligations are increasing for over 30,000 affected companies in Germany. The directive calls for comprehensive security measures with a broad scope throughout the entire company: risk management, incident reporting, technical measures, and governance.

What's particularly critical is that the scope of NIS 2 implementation is very extensive, encompassing all IT systems, components, and processes used to provide services. This includes, for example, office IT or other IT systems operated by the institution. Primary responsibility for NIS 2 implementation lies with management and cannot be delegated.

The expanded sanction provisions provide for new offenses and increased fines ranging from €100,000 to €20 million, some of which are linked to global turnover. This underscores the seriousness with which the legislature treats data center cybersecurity.

How could a chair contribute to digital sovereignty?

A chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization could make a significant contribution to strengthening Europe's digital sovereignty. Digital sovereignty is not just a political buzzword, but a strategic imperative that describes the ability to independently operate critical digital infrastructures.

The chair could make concrete contributions in several areas. First, it would develop scientifically sound standards for the construction and operation of sovereign data centers. These standards would need to encompass not only technical aspects but also consider organizational, legal, and economic dimensions. The development of European alternatives to American and Chinese standards would be an important step toward reducing technological dependence.

Another important contribution would be research into resilient data center architectures. These would need to be designed to remain functional even in the event of critical component failure or external attacks. Geo-redundant data center concepts that ensure maximum reliability could be developed and optimized. Data centers should be located in earthquake zone 1 at the most and be at least 200 km apart to maximize reliability.

The development of training concepts for specialists would be a third important building block. The shortage of skilled workers in the data center industry is already a limiting factor. A university chair could not only develop bachelor's and master's degree programs but also offer continuing education programs for existing specialists.

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Which locations are suitable for such a chair?

Considered as locations for a chair for digital infrastructures and data center organization are renowned universities that already offer cross-disciplinary services in disciplines such as computer science, engineering, economics, supercomputing, or cybersecurity. Germany has several locations that could meet these requirements.

The Leibniz Supercomputing Center in Munich would be a natural candidate. As one of the three high-performance computing centers of the Gauss Centre for Supercomputing, it boasts more than 60 years of experience and employs over 300 IT specialists and researchers. The LRZ develops innovative technologies for sustainable data center operations and researches future technologies such as quantum computing. Its close ties to the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Technical University of Munich would create ideal conditions for an interdisciplinary chair.

The Stuttgart High-Performance Computing Center would be another suitable location. With the supercomputer "Hawk," the HLRS operates one of the world's most powerful computers and has extensive expertise in high-performance computing. The University of Stuttgart already has strong faculties in the relevant disciplines and could support an interdisciplinary approach.

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology could also be considered, especially given that Dr. Robert Scholderer, the initiator of the call for such a chair, received his doctorate there. KIT has strong faculties in computer science, electrical engineering, and industrial engineering and already has experience in interdisciplinary research.

Frankfurt am Main, as Europe's leading data center location with over 1,050 MW of installed IT capacity, would also be a strategically viable location. Proximity to the largest German and European data centers would facilitate practical research and industrial collaborations. Goethe University Frankfurt and the Technical University of Darmstadt could jointly support such an initiative.

How could the financing of such a chair look like?

Funding for a chair for digital infrastructures and data center organization could be achieved through various channels. Given its strategic importance for Germany's digital sovereignty, public funding from the federal and state governments would be a natural fit. The Federal Ministry for Digital and Information Technologies and the Federal Ministry for Research and Technology, to whom Dr. Scholderer addressed his open letter, could launch such an initiative.

Private funding from industry would be another option. Large technology companies, data center operators, and energy suppliers have a direct interest in research and training in this area. An endowed professorship funded by several companies in the industry could represent a sustainable solution. The Association of Innovative Data Centers, which has already participated in the development of the degree program at Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences, could act as a coordinator for such an initiative.

European funding programs offer a third source of funding. Programs such as Horizon Europe or the European Green Deal could provide funding for research in the field of sustainable and secure data centers. The strategic importance for Europe's digital sovereignty would justify such funding.

A combination of public and private funding appears most realistic. Core funding could be provided publicly, while specific research projects could be funded by industrial partners or European programs. This would ensure both scientific independence and the practical relevance of the research.

What concrete impact would such a chair have?

A chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization would have several concrete positive effects. First, it would help close the skills gap, which is already a limiting factor for the growth of the data center industry. By training specialists with sound scientific and practical knowledge, Germany could strengthen its position in international competition.

The development of German and European standards for data center organization would be another important effect. Instead of adopting American or Chinese standards, Germany could develop its own standards tailored to European needs and values. This would contribute to technological sovereignty and make German companies less dependent on foreign technology providers.

Research into sustainable and energy-efficient data centers would help Germany achieve its climate goals. With data center electricity consumption projected to increase to up to 88 billion kilowatt hours by 2045, the development of efficient technologies and operating concepts is of enormous importance for the energy transition.

Innovation in cybersecurity would be a fourth key area. The development of new security concepts and technologies would not only make German data centers more secure but could also become an export hit. German security technology enjoys a strong international reputation and could be further strengthened through scientific research.

Ultimately, the overarching effect would be to strengthen the digital sovereignty of Germany and Europe. By developing its own skills and technologies, Germany would become less dependent on foreign providers and could draw on its own resources in the event of a crisis.

What challenges would need to be overcome during implementation?

Establishing a chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization would present several challenges. The interdisciplinary nature of the field requires the integration of various academic disciplines, which is complex both organizationally and in terms of content. Such a chair would need to combine expertise in computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, business administration, and law.

Recruiting suitable professors presents another challenge. The field is still relatively new, and there are few academics who possess the required combination of theoretical knowledge and practical experience. Dr. Robert Scholderer, with his expertise in service level agreements and IT service catalogs, would be a suitable candidate, but the field needs several experts in different sub-areas.

Acquiring suitable laboratory equipment and infrastructure would be costly. A chair for data center organization requires not only theoretical research but also practical laboratory environments in which various technologies and concepts can be tested. This requires significant investments in hardware and software.

Coordination with industry is crucial for success, but also challenging. The interests of academia and industry must be reconciled without compromising scientific independence. At the same time, it is important to ensure that research remains relevant to practice and avoids becoming overly theoretical.

International networking is also important, but difficult to implement. Since data centers are a global phenomenon, German research must remain internationally connected, even if it is to contribute to digital sovereignty. This requires a balanced approach between national interests and international cooperation.

What might the future of the German data center landscape look like?

With an established chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization, Germany could assume a leading role in the European and global data center landscape. The scientific foundation would lead to more innovative and efficient solutions that could be in demand internationally.

Frankfurt am Main could further expand its position as a top European location. With over 1,050 MW of installed IT capacity and a growth pipeline of up to 1.3 GW, Frankfurt is already Europe's leading data center location. Scientific support could help overcome bottlenecks in grid connections and power supply and accelerate growth.

The development of sustainable data center concepts could make Germany a pioneer in green technologies. With the legal requirement for waste heat utilization and its ambitious climate targets, Germany has already established regulatory incentives. Scientific research could develop innovative solutions that go beyond the minimum requirements.

Strengthening digital sovereignty would make Germany and Europe less dependent on American and Chinese technology providers. Domestic standards and technologies could be developed and marketed internationally. This would not only strengthen strategic independence but also create new export opportunities.

Training highly qualified specialists would alleviate the skills shortage in the industry and make Germany an attractive location for international data center providers. Well-trained specialists are a crucial location factor for the knowledge-intensive data center industry.

The integration of quantum computing and other future technologies could be accelerated through scientific research. The Leibniz Supercomputing Center is already researching the combination of quantum processors with supercomputers. A specialized chair could systematically advance this development and give Germany a head start in the next generation of data centers.

In the medium term, Germany could develop a network of sovereign, sustainable, and highly secure data centers that could serve as a model for other countries. The combination of scientific excellence, regulatory incentives, and industrial expertise would make Germany a global benchmark for modern data center concepts.

Why is quick action necessary?

Dr. Robert Scholderer's call for a chair in data center organization goes to the heart of a strategic problem facing Germany. While other countries are massively expanding their digital infrastructure, strengthening both their capacities and their scientific foundations, Germany is in danger of falling behind.

The numbers speak for themselves: Germany needs investments of 60 billion euros by 2030 to remain competitive. Without scientific foundation and a systematic approach, this money cannot be used optimally. A chair would create the necessary expertise to manage these investments efficiently and achieve maximum impact.

Geopolitical risks are growing daily. Dependence on a few US providers makes Germany vulnerable to political decisions and trade conflicts beyond its control. Digital sovereignty is not an option, but a necessity for a country that wants to maintain its economic and political capacity to act.

The challenges of cybersecurity and sustainability are further exacerbated by the NIS 2 Directive and the Energy Efficiency Act. Without scientific support, many companies will struggle to meet these requirements cost-effectively.

The shortage of skilled workers in the data center industry is continually worsening. Without systematic training of specialists, Germany will not be able to implement and operate the planned capacity expansions.

Germany still has the opportunity to assume a leading role in the European and global data center landscape. With its strong industrial base, its scientific tradition, and its central location in Europe, the country has all the prerequisites for a successful digital transformation. A chair for Digital Infrastructures and Data Center Organization would be an important building block for seizing this opportunity and making Germany fit for the digital future.

Time is running out. Every day without systematic scientific research into this strategically important topic is a lost day in international competition. Policymakers should take Dr. Scholderer's proposal seriously and act quickly before it's too late.

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