The distinction of Start Campus' project as European Data Center Project of the Year, awarded at the DatacenterDynamics Awards 2025, in London, confirms something that has long ceased to be just an ambition. Portugal is asserting itself as one of the best positioned countries in Europe to host large-scale, sustainable digital infrastructures prepared for the new era of intensive computing and artificial intelligence.

SIN01, located in Sines, is today one of the most advanced projects on the continent. Not only because of its size, but because of the way it was designed from the beginning. It is the first gigawatt-scale data center in the world to use a seawater cooling system, achieving zero water consumption and energy efficiency levels that put the project at the global forefront. In a sector increasingly pressured by environmental criteria, this detail makes all the difference.

But the innovation does not stop there. The campus is designed to support the demands of the next generation of computing, including artificial intelligence workloads with densities greater than 130 kW per rack. This means that Sines is not only prepared for the present. It is prepared for the future of hyperscale cloud and high-performance computing, areas where demand is growing exponentially.

There is also a clear alignment with Portugal's energy path. The project is part of an increasingly renewable matrix and a long-term decarbonization strategy, something that is decisive for international investors today. The transformation of decommissioned former industrial sites into a hub of the European green digital economy is a concrete example of how economic development can go hand in hand with sustainability and territorial regeneration.

I have had the opportunity to follow this journey not only from a distance. At the Web Summit, I was able to speak directly with Omer Wilson, CMO of Start Campus, who told me to follow my articles for a long time. This dialogue reinforces something I deeply believe in. When those who invest, those who build and those who analyze the country share the same vision, the ecosystem becomes stronger, more informed, and more ambitious.

This award does not only validate one project. Validates a strategy. Sines asserts itself as a strategic gateway to transatlantic connectivity, to the global cloud and to the next generation of artificial intelligence. And Portugal is consolidating itself as a reliable destination for large-scale technological investment, at a time when Europe is looking for digital sovereignty and resilient infrastructure.

After years of talking about potential, this recognition shows something even more relevant. The potential is being realized. And when this happens, the country stops promising and starts to lead.