Portugal’s ranking in the emerging market sector comes even though its installed capacity remains relatively small compared to the world’s leading data centre hubs, Executive Digest reports.

The data comes from Savills' trend analysis platform, Impacts, based on information from DC Byte.

Leading global countries

The United States ranks first in the global data centre market, China comes in second, and Finland and Saudi Arabia occupy third and fourth places.

Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands also remain among the leading global markets, combining high installed capacity with already mature ecosystems, according to the analysis.

These consolidated markets are expected to continue playing a central role in the sector “due to their connectivity and proximity to large customer bases,” Executive Digest reports. Despite this, the development of new projects faces obstacles, such as land availability, cost, and electricity grid capacity.

AI influence on investment

Artificial intelligence is altering investment patterns, as the Nordic countries are becoming more attractive for large-scale projects due to the availability of renewable energy, competitive energy costs, and favourable climate conditions for the operation of data centres.

According to Rupert Duckworth, Associate Director of EMEA Data Center Advisory at Savills: “In the growth of AI-driven data centres, the Nordic countries, particularly Finland, Denmark, and Norway, stand out as one of the most promising implementation options worldwide: low-cost clean energy, cooler operating temperatures, and fewer physical limitations.”

Duckworth says the Nordic region: “has established itself as a large-scale AI-oriented development hub, with several significant campuses currently underway."

Portugal gaining ground

This trend is also beginning to gain traction in Portugal. Tiago Cortez, Associate Director of Industrial, Logistics & Data Centers at Savills Portugal, believes that the country “has gained enormous visibility among major global investors and data centre operators.”

"With the major projects already underway and the expression of intent for new projects, Portugal will clearly be one of the world's leading destinations for large data centres," he adds.