Subsea Catalysts: How the Mediterranean is Rewiring Europe’s Digital Infrastructure

Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa and Crete are transforming from geographic outposts into strategic data centre hubs, helping Europe meet rising digital demands through subsea connectivity.

Jul 30, 2025

Historically viewed as peripheral to Europe’s primary digital infrastructure, the Mediterranean region is rapidly becoming a focal point in the global data centre landscape. Cities such as Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa and Crete are leveraging their coastal geography and rising investment to establish themselves as digital gateways connecting Europe with Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

The confluence of submarine cable landings, growing IT workloads from AI and cloud computing, and robust renewable energy strategies has positioned the Mediterranean basin as an integral player in Europe’s digital re-architecture. These cities are now reshaping latency maps, easing data sovereignty pressures, and offering alternatives to traditional hubs like Frankfurt, London and Paris.

“These Mediterranean hubs are contributing to more resilient and interconnected digital infrastructure.”
Kristina Lesnjak, Senior Analyst, DC Byte

Marseille: France’s Coastal Anchor for Global Connectivity

Marseille remains the region’s most established market, acting as France’s second-largest data centre hub behind Paris. With 58MW of live IT capacity, the city supports 12 active submarine cables including the 2Africa system, the world’s longest subsea cable and has five more planned.

Digital Realty dominates the local infrastructure with over 43.8MW deployed across four operational sites near the Marseille-Fos Port. Its expansion plans include MRS5 and MRS6 facilities. More notably, Swedish firm Evroc has announced a 96MW sovereign cloud project in nearby Mougins, representing its first international investment.

Marseille's advantage lies in both connectivity and sustainability. Regional initiatives in floating offshore wind, solar energy, and hydrogen production are enabling operators like Microsoft and Digital Realty to secure power purchase agreements (PPAs) and meet decarbonisation targets.

However, community opposition to new developments is growing. A 2023 moratorium proposal though not enacted reflected local scepticism. Projects such as Digital Realty’s MRS6 face planning hurdles, highlighting a tension between national digital ambitions and local sentiment.

“The most significant expansion of interconnections in Europe is happening in Marseille.”
Olivia Ford, Research Analyst, DC Byte

Barcelona: Spain’s Strategic Contender in the Mediterranean

Barcelona, Spain’s second-largest data centre market after Madrid, is expanding rapidly with 63MW of live IT capacity and an additional 177MW across construction, committed and early-stage projects. Development is concentrated in three key zones: Hospitalet de Llobregat (colocation hub), Sant Adrià de Besòs (home to Digital Realty and the Barcelona Cable Landing Station), and Cerdanyola del Vallès, an emerging AI-focused zone.

Barcelona’s market is characterised by its maturity and wholesale orientation, with 65% of capacity dedicated to large-scale operations. Companies such as AQ Compute are tailoring infrastructure for AI workloads, while Panattoni is pursuing additional developments.

The Generalitat of Catalonia and the Barcelona City Council provide strong institutional support, including incentives and streamlined permitting. This political backing aligns with a robust energy mix that includes wind, solar and nuclear energy, with grid stability further enhanced by proximity to the Ascó nuclear facility.

The city is also a rising connectivity hub. Active subsea systems such as 2Africa and Medloop will be complemented by future landings like Medusa and EMIC-1, extending Barcelona’s reach across Europe, North Africa and South Asia.

“Barcelona is more mature than other Mediterranean markets, with a wholesale-heavy structure.”
Ben Taylor, Research Analyst, DC Byte

Genoa: Italy’s Latency-Focused Node with Subsea Advantage

Once overshadowed by Milan, Genoa is emerging as a digital exchange point of growing importance. Its location on Italy’s Ligurian coast makes it an ideal landing site for new submarine cables. The Equinix GN1 facility, for example, is already operational and hosts the 2Africa cable, directly connecting to Milan via terrestrial fibre.

A significant development is the BlueMed cable system, linking Palermo, Genoa and Milan and terminating at the STACK Infrastructure campus in Siziano. The system offers low-latency routes between European, African and Middle Eastern markets.

Genoa now plays a dual role: a low-delay exchange point for intra-European traffic and a resilient access node for global content and cloud platforms. The city’s proximity to major hubs like Marseille and Milan enhances its appeal as both a bypass and complement to more congested routes.

Crete: A New Entrant with Strategic Reach and Renewable Appeal

Crete’s emergence as a digital hub is relatively recent but notably rapid. In 2023, its data centre capacity expanded by 60% more than double Marseille’s 27% growth rate over the same period. Factors driving this surge include rising AI and content delivery demands, as well as government initiatives like the Ultra-Fast Broadband project and the Digital Transformation Bible.

International operators such as Microsoft and Google are incorporating Crete into their Greek infrastructure plans, recognising its strategic location at the nexus of Europe, Africa and Asia. The Sparkle GreenMed cable further boosts the island’s role as a key transit point.

The island benefits from political stability and an abundance of solar and wind energy, supporting green data centre operations. With infrastructure projects maturing and regulatory conditions improving, Crete is positioning itself as a credible secondary hub within the European data ecosystem.

Investment Trends: Capitalising on Mediterranean Momentum

European data centre investment continues its strong trajectory. The continent-wide market valued at USD 47.2 billion in 2024 is projected to nearly double to USD 97.3 billion by 2030. Subsea infrastructure alone in the Mediterranean is forecast to attract USD 5.5 billion by 2035.

Countries like Spain, Italy and Greece are rising fast, benefiting from shorter grid permitting timelines, government incentives, and abundant land. Joint ventures such as Iberdrola and Echelon in Spain and Merlin Properties' €1 billion pivot to data centres illustrate the trend. EU funding through the CEF Digital programme (EUR 1 billion to 2027) supports cable deployment and resilience.

The Mediterranean region’s blend of grid access, renewables and geopolitical neutrality is drawing capital away from saturated FLAP-D markets. Each of the four hubs profiled—Marseille, Barcelona, Genoa and Crete—is positioned to capture redirected hyperscale and infrastructure fund flows.

Conclusion: The Mediterranean’s Role in Europe’s Digital Rebalancing

The Mediterranean Sea is no longer merely a geographic buffer on the edge of Europe’s network infrastructure. It is evolving into a strategic corridor for subsea connectivity, edge computing, and hyperscale investment. Marseille remains a heavyweight, but Barcelona, Genoa and Crete are reshaping the landscape through political will, sustainability, and infrastructure diversification.

As data demands continue to rise, so too will the need for resilient, low-latency and renewable-powered digital infrastructure. The Mediterranean's ascent signals a more distributed and geopolitically resilient future for European connectivity.