metropolitan area of barcelona To date, it has a new Data Center. This is BA2, located on a 2,500 m² Hospitalet de Llobregat in which the American multinational Equinox has invested $56 million (over 50 million euros).
Those numbers will grow. Equinix plans to expand its investments in the capital Catalonia up to 86 million euros (about 77 million euros) over the next two years. “We will continue to invest and grow in Barcelona at the pace set by digitalization,” explains Yulia Flo. Managing Director of the signature in SpainIn statements given to EL PERIÓDICO.
Data centers are its backbone Internet.It has hundreds of features Computer Which work tirelessly day and night to store and process huge amounts of data. These calculations support all activities in the digital world, from business management to being able to watch a series Streaming,
The new Equinix Center – a giant listed on the New York Stock Exchange that will have a turnover of up to $8.7 billion in 2023 – complements BA1, which is located just over four kilometers away. The connection between the two increases the strength of the connection and reduces power, features that attract many companies.
Local and International Companies
BA2 has space for approximately 384 servers, an infrastructure that they put at the service of their clients. Many of them are companies from the local Catalan fabric that turn to Equinix to expand, interconnect or outsource their digital capacity, which allows them to be more productive and efficient. The case of Vueling one of the two FluidraWhich have been using the American company’s infrastructure for years. More and more public administrations are betting on this path.
However, these services are also for large operators that already work with Equinix in other countries or international companies that want to set up shop in Barcelona and need servers that are closer to consumers. They choose whether to use their own computer equipment or rent it from the multinational.
Equinix has 260 data centers worldwide, five of them in Spain: three in Madrid and two in Barcelona. One of the Madrid centers is hyperscale, that is, a large-scale facility contracted by a giant cloud computing which they do not want to reveal. In addition, it plans to build two other centers in the country’s capital by 2025. According to Flo, its Spanish customers represent 5% of the gross value added in Spain.
Strategic Investments
The landing of the new Equinix data center reinforces Barcelona’s position as a strategic port for global connections. Its privileged geographical position turns the Catalan capital into a bridge between Europe, Africa and the Middle East through submarine fiber optic cables that travel under the waters of the Mediterranean Sea.
“This is a decisive step to strengthen our country Center digital company in Southern Europe”, celebrated Miquel Samper, Minister of Business and Labour of the Generalitat of Catalonia, during the inauguration ceremony. Projects like Equinix will help attract new investments from digital companies to Barcelona.
According to a report from consulting firm KPMG cited by the company, Equinix may have Economic impact 285 million euros in Spain between 2024 and 2027. In Catalonia, the technology sector already contributes around 9% of GDP after tourism and the manufacturing industry, with an impact of 45,000 million euros.
