In an increasingly digitalized world, powerful data centers are essential for an economy's ability to compete and innovate. They enable the storage and processing of huge amounts of data and drive innovation in key industries. Their space and energy requirements also lead to criticism. How can Switzerland better meet the needs of these systemically important infrastructures?
Data centers are essential to the success of the Swiss economy for several reasons. In an increasingly digitalized, knowledge-based world, data centers are the backbone for the storage, processing and exchange of data. They enable the functionality of cloud services, big data analytics, the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), all of which are key factors for innovation and competitiveness. Research and development (R&D) in areas such as biotechnology, fintech or industrial automation require immense computing power and data storage, which are provided by modern data centers. Data centers enable companies to process large amounts of data efficiently, leading to better decision-making, process optimization and cost reduction. Example projects of this type are the Green Metro Campus (Dielsdorf), Gen01A / Gen02A (Gland), Equinix ZH2 , 4 and 5 (Zurich) and the CSCS - Swiss National Supercomputing Centre in Lugano .
Swiss reliability and precision
Switzerland is known for its stable and reliable infrastructure, making it an attractive location for global companies that want to store their data in secure, high-performance and, above all, uninterrupted data centers. Switzerland has strict data protection laws, which, combined with highly secure data centers, create a trustworthy environment for storing sensitive data. This is particularly important for Switzerland as a banking and insurance location, which is one of Switzerland's most important economic sectors. The presence of state-of-the-art data centers in Switzerland attracts multinational companies that require reliable and high-performance IT infrastructures. Maintaining business continuity and supporting home office and remote work models in times of pandemics and crises contribute to the resilience of the economic system. In summary, data and computing centers form the technical and economic basis that enables Switzerland to maintain its position as a leading business location in a globalized, digital world.
Energy and space guzzlers or saviors?
Data and computing centers have a reputation, particularly in political circles, of being energy and space guzzlers with a low number of jobs. At the same time, they need to be close to main centers so that the data lines are not too far from the end users. Attempts and efforts to integrate the building sections underground or as part of other parts of the building fail due to aspects of economic efficiency (construction costs, waste heat, etc.) or safety (risk of flooding, accessibility, etc.). In such one-sided discussions, the need for sufficient computing power (calculations and storage) and its networking for the development of new technologies and the existence of a knowledge society is not sufficiently appreciated. The opportunities of linking data centers with the energy and heat supply in the immediate vicinity are also largely ignored. Data centers can now increasingly be integrated into heat networks, so that up to 85% of the input energy can be recycled, which is also causing critical communities to rethink. This is precisely why modern data centers in Switzerland are often pioneers in terms of energy efficiency and sustainability.
Conclusions for Requirements for Spatial Planning and Investment Promotion
Data and computing centers should increasingly be prioritized as priority areas in the sense of positive planning in the planning instruments of the federal government, cantons and municipalities. Proximity to economic centers (reducing latency) and users must be ensured. The provision of the necessary areas for the overall economic success of the country should be particularly rewarded. This can be supported by not taking these areas into account in the cantonal or local quotas for work zones.
This article highlights the opportunities, challenges and solutions offered by data and computing centers for Switzerland. More considerations can be found in the discussion contribution “Future work zone management”: https://www.loc.ag/arbeitszonenmanagement
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