AI factories clash with the data center decree: We're killing an industry
The sector's players warn that the regulation being prepared by the Government may compromise investments linked to artificial intelligence in Spain.
AI factories clash with data center decree: Spain invests in industry
Data centers prepare for the arrival of artificial intelligence factories, purpose-built for training and operating this technology. Spain is in a strong position to become a European hub for this new phase of infrastructure, but the sector is calling for changes in the regulation of data centers to prevent Spain from losing competitiveness against other markets.
At the Data Center Expansion Meeting, organized by EXPANSION with sponsorship from the ARAGON GOVERNMENT, CEEI ARAGON, SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC, ENDESA, and CONSOLIS TECNYCONTA, Javier Pemán, Higher Education and Research Sales Manager at Nvidia for Spain, emphasized that Spain has the necessary ingredients to become a reference point for AI in Europe.
Nvidia currently has over 50 professionals in Spain and plans to increase this number to 200 within a year, with the potential to reach a thousand employees in the next five years.
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, confirmed that he will inaugurate Nvidia's AI Factory at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC) on October 13. Pemán expressed his personal goal of having Spain host a large AI laboratory similar to the ones Nvidia operates in other countries. Nvidia is also pushing for a program to help design data centers ready for future generations of AI chips and systems.
Juan Carlos Vaamonde, General Director of DayOne Data Center, warned that the draft decree proposed by the government could reduce Spain's attractiveness compared to other European markets, particularly due to the requirement that 80% of electricity consumed comes from renewable sources. Pemán suggested that this requirement could increase electricity costs by around 70%, making Spain less competitive compared to neighboring countries.
The debate over the draft decree also highlighted the need for a stable and aligned regulation across Europe to prevent the data center industry from becoming a problem instead of a crucial driver for AI development in the continent. Schneider Electric, which provides much of the infrastructure for data centers, emphasized the importance of a stable regulation to attract talent and create skilled jobs in the region.
Written by urgent.news from Expansion ES's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
