Speaker
Description
Over the past decade, data centers have evolved from auxiliary digital infrastructure into central nodes of economic value creation, shaping how capital, labor, and energy are allocated across sectors.
This paper examines the evolution of data centres as a substantial economic entity, exploring their macroeconomic impact with an emphasis on GDP contribution, job creation, infrastructure investment, and energy market dynamics. A key aspect of the analysis is the "halo effect", which marks the ability of data centre ecosystems to foster growth and innovation in related sectors, including renewable energy, manufacturing, and digital services.
The objective is to assess the aggregate economic impact of data centers across diverse geographies, identify sectoral and spatial discrepancies, and understand how these facilities influence national development strategies. It investigates the hypothesis that data centers contribute significantly to macroeconomic indicators and function as nodes of innovation and resilience in the global digital economy.
The methodology draws upon qualitative and quantitative approaches. A mixed-methods strategy was used, collecting macroeconomic data from various sources including industry reports (PwC, CBRE), institutional databases (OECD, Eurostat), and academic research. This data was used to assess the direct and indirect GDP contributions, employment multipliers, infrastructure investment levels, and trade volumes associated with data centre activities. In addition, qualitative study includes the analysis of important regional centres, such as Northern Virginia and Dublin.
Initial findings showcase that data centres represent roughly 6% of global GDP, mostly via enabling digital services in sectors such as finance, healthcare, logistics and manufacturing. The employment impact is significant: each direct job created in a data centre supports an additional 5–7 jobs in construction, energy, IT, and local economies. In addition, they generate around 400 billion annual investments, influencing broadband deployment and the use of renewable energy. Energy consumption is a significant concern, as data centres represent around 2% of global electricity demand. Thus, leading operators are accelerating their transition to sustainable energy. Moreover, data centres appear to generate extensive economic spillovers. In Dublin, the availability of advanced infrastructure has enabled the growth of the financial and SaaS industries. In Virginia, local tax revenue from data centres has funded public infrastructure and attracted associated technology sectors.
In conclusion, the article provides evidence that data centres have a substantial impact on macroeconomic outcomes and accelerate the transition to digital and ecological technologies. With the increasing need for AI and cloud computing, understanding and regulating the economic impact of data centres becomes essential for policymakers seeking to promote sustainable digital economies.
