Google bets €5.5 billion on Germany’s AI future

The tech giant on Monday unveiled a €5.5 billion investment package that will stretch through 2029, expanding its cloud and AI infrastructure and establishing a major foothold in Europe.

The plan focuses on a new data centre in Dietzenbach, just outside Frankfurt, and fresh investment in the existing Hanau campus — two sites that will anchor Google’s cloud regions in Germany.

The company is also expanding offices in Berlin, Frankfurt and Munich, where it plans to turn the historic Arnulfpost building into a 30,000-square-metre development hub for up to 2,000 employees.

Philipp Justus, Google’s country manager for Germany and vice-president for Central Europe, called it “Google’s largest investment programme to date in Germany.”

Google estimates the investment will add about €1 billion a year to German GDP and support 9,000 jobs annually over the next four years.

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German officials warmly welcomed the move.

“Google’s multi-billion-euro investments are genuine future-proof investments: in innovation, in artificial intelligence, and in the climate-neutral transformation,” said Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil, welcoming the deal as proof that Germany can still attract major foreign capital despite a sluggish economy.

“These are investments for future jobs in Germany. This is exactly what we need right now.”

Digital Affairs Minister Karsten Wildberger was similarly upbeat, saying they wanted “Germany to play in the top league when it comes to data centres in Europe,” he said.

The new Dietzenbach facility will strengthen Google Cloud’s German network — part of 42 cloud regions worldwide — giving companies such as Mercedes-Benz and Koenig & Bauer faster and more secure access to AI-driven services.

“Google Cloud’s investment in data centres in Germany is a major step toward strengthening digital infrastructure in Europe,” said Magnus Östberg, Chief Software Officer at Mercedes-Benz.

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Its German sites will continue to host “sovereign cloud” services designed to meet local data-governance requirements, a nod to European regulators wary of U.S. tech dominance.

“A sovereign digital future must be built in Europe, for Europe,” said Marianne Janik, Google Cloud’s VP for Northern Europe. “That means deep and structural investment in local economies — creating jobs and a vibrant European technology ecosystem.”

Alongside its digital push, Google is stepping up efforts to decarbonise its German operations. It will be extending a carbon-free energy partnership with Engie through 2030, sourcing electricity from new onshore wind and solar projects and integrating battery and hydro storage.

In Dietzenbach, Google will also launch its first heat-recovery project in Germany, working with local provider Energieversorgung Offenbach to capture waste heat from its data centre and channel it into the district heating network, enough to warm more than 2,000 homes.

The tech giant is pairing the rollout with digital-skills initiatives in local schools and foundations in Hanau and Dietzenbach, funding programmes in coding, STEM education and prototyping.