This commitment builds on our long-term trust in the German market. It is about setting the course for the future – a future that will be significantly shaped by digitalization and artificial intelligence (AI). Our investments should not only create technological infrastructure, but also provide measurable economic impetus: According to forecasts, this could create around 9,000 jobs a year in and for Germany by 2029.
On the way to becoming an AI country
Our country is in a critical phase in which it needs to expand its economic competitiveness. Digitalization and the use of AI are crucial to putting the home of countless inventions and export champions on a growth path. Google is a partner on this journey and we firmly believe in Germany’s strength as a leading economic nation.
A powerful cloud and AI infrastructure is the basis for innovation. That is why we are significantly expanding our Google Cloud regions in Germany:
- New data center in Dietzenbach: We are building a completely new location near Frankfurt. The facility will strengthen our two Google Cloud regions in Germany, which are part of the global network of 42 regions.
- Expansion in Hanau: Our site, which opened in 2023, will be further expanded.
These investments will provide German companies – from Deutsche Bank to Mercedes-Benz – with the low latency and high performance they need to scale their own AI solutions. At the same time, we enable organizations to use advanced cloud capabilities securely and in line with European values and local requirements.
Sustainability and responsibility in focus
Growth must not come at the expense of the environment. We are committed to expanding our infrastructure responsibly and setting new standards in terms of sustainability:
- CO2-free energy: We are expanding our partnership with ENGIE Deutschland, which has been in place since 2021, to procure electricity from new German solar and wind projects. Our operations in Germany are expected to run on 80% or more CO2-free energy as early as 2026. This is an important step towards our global goal: a completely CO2-free energy supply (around the clock and at every location) for all our operations by 2030.
- Heat transition on site: We are launching our first heat recovery project in Germany in Dietzenbach. In collaboration with Energieversorgung Offenbach (EVO), the local district heating provider in Dietzenbach, the waste heat from the data center will supply more than 2,000 local households in future. This initiative follows a pilot project in Finland.
- Water conservation: In addition to our own operations, we are aiming to recycle an average of 120% of the water we use worldwide. In this way, we contribute to the preservation of local water and wetlands. One concrete example of this is our commitment in Hesse: There, we support the NABU Foundation for Nature Conservation in protecting the BĂĽttelborner Bruchwiesen, a large moorland area that provides an important habitat for birds and other wildlife.
Strengthening our office locations and society
In addition to the technical infrastructure, we also invest in the people and places where we work. Our office spaces in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich are being expanded and modernized:
- Munich: The expansion of the historic Arnulfpost into a modern development center with 30,000 square meters of office space for up to 1,500 Google employees is progressing. The project will not only revitalize a historic landmark, but will also create public areas that are accessible to all Munich residents once it is completed at the end of 2026.
- Frankfurt: We have moved into the 24th floor of the Global Tower – now our highest office in Germany, which includes a new TechTalk conference room for up to 100 guests.
- Berlin: We are expanding our presence here by converting former studios onto three floors with meeting rooms and a new TechTalk conference room – including a view of the River Spree.
We are also stepping up our social commitment. We are specifically promoting education and training in the areas of digitalization and STEM, for example through new collaborations with foundations and schools in Hanau and Dietzenbach – these include:
- the Kathinka Platzhoff Foundation, the Martin Luther Foundation Hanau and the Hanau Commercial School and
- the Code School Hanau, the KaTHINKas STEM initiative at the Ludwig Geissler School and the Prototyping Lab of the Brothers Grimm Vocational Academy in Hanau.
Germany is a key innovation location for us. With this investment package, we want to make our contribution to ensuring that the country can also fully exploit its strengths in the digital age.
Statements on the investment
Lars Klingbeil, Federal Minister of Finance: “Google’s billion-euro investments are real investments in the future: in innovation, in artificial intelligence, in the climate-neutral transformation. These are investments for future jobs in Germany. That is exactly what we need now. In addition to our public investments, we want to mobilize much more private investment. Germany is an attractive location for investors from all over the world. We are strong in research, strong in innovation and we have a highly qualified workforce. I am therefore delighted to see that Google has decided to invest so heavily in Germany.”
Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital and State Modernization: “We want to make Germany a leading location for data centers in Europe. The investment announced today by Google shows how attractive our location is for digital infrastructure. It is right that we continue to work closely with international technology leaders on future technologies and also strengthen our own innovation and value creation for greater growth.”
Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space: “With our High-Tech Agenda, we want to make Germany the world’s leading location for new technologies. For this to succeed, we need to work together with partners, especially from industry. Today’s announcement by Google is a strong example of this. Google’s investment shows that Germany is already an attractive location for companies. Artificial intelligence and climate-neutral energy generation are two of the key technologies on Germany’s High-Tech Agenda. They will be strengthened by Google’s commitment. This will bring growth and added value to our country.”
Katherina Reiche, Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy: “Google’s decision underlines the fact that Germany is a top location for future investments. The fact that the market for data centers in Germany is booming is a strong signal for our business location. Anyone investing here is relying on stability, qualified specialists and technological strength. This is a clear commitment to Germany’s innovative strength and reliable energy policy.”
Hesse’s Digital Minister Prof. Dr. Kristina Sinemus highlighted the fact that Hesse is specifically working on a digital success story: “Data centers are the foundation of the modern economy. The billion-euro investment acts as a GDP booster for our digital economy and strengthens Hesse’s role as Europe’s digital skyline,” said Sinemus. “With the announced investments, Google is not only strengthening the Rhine-Main region, but the whole of Hesse as a digital powerhouse in Europe. With our regional data center strategy, which we will present next summer, we are permanently combining growth, sustainability and innovation.”
Magnus Ă–stberg, Chief Software Officer Mercedes-Benz: “Google Cloud’s investment in data centers in Germany is an important step towards strengthening the digital infrastructure in Europe. We are working with Google Cloud as a key partner to power our AI functions in the car, and this step ensures even higher performance and more convenience for our customers.”
Dr. Dieter Lang, Mayor of Dietzenbach: “The district town of Dietzenbach is part of the Rhine-Main metropolitan region and a town with attitude, courage and character. We are fast, solution-oriented and ready to take on responsibility. Google’s data center is already associated with a number of superlatives and is a commitment to the advantages of the local location. This investment has a signal effect that extends far beyond Dietzenbach. It makes it clear that progress can be made wherever people take responsibility together and want to actively shape the future in Germany. The project shows what is possible when global ideas meet local drive.”
Claus Kaminsky, Lord Mayor of Hanau: “Google and Hanau have been a very good match for a long time. The company has opened its first German cloud data center in our Brothers Grimm town. I am very pleased that the data center journey continues, both personally and for us as a city. Google is an appreciative partner from planning to commissioning, reliable, constructive and faster than expected. Hanau is an important player on the European data center map. I am particularly pleased that Google always thinks beyond the location and leaves a real added value for the people of Hanau with educational and future-oriented projects.”
Dr. Lennart Jahnke, Chief Digital Officer, University Medical Center Freiburg: “Modern medicine would not be possible if we did not work with the latest technologies. With Google Cloud, we have a partner that supports us with its expertise and its comprehensive AI and data platform.”
Dr. Alexander Alldridge, Managing Director of EuroDaT: “For us, choosing the right technology partner was of the utmost importance, as we operate primarily in highly regulated industries and work with very sensitive data. The trust of our customers depends on the neutrality and, above all, the technological security of our data trustee. Here, Google Cloud impresses with particularly high standards that fully meet the special requirements of the financial sector in terms of cyber security, data protection, cyber resilience and auditability.”
Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Jens Scholz, CEO of UKSH: “With Google Cloud, we are jointly implementing an ambitious digitalization plan. UKSH benefits from state-of-the-art technology while retaining full sovereignty over its data.”
Dr. Christoph Böhm, CIO/COO Deutsche Börse Group: “Since the start of our multi-cloud journey at Deutsche Börse Group in 2019, we have migrated significant workloads to the cloud, reaching a significant milestone in our digital transformation. Our partnership with Google Cloud helps us to accelerate innovations that shape the capital markets. It ensures the highest security and compliance standards for fair and resilient financial markets of the future.”
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Further links
👉 www.hanau.de
👉 https://about.google
Photo: Hanau/Berlin, Google
