A representative survey by eco – Association of the Internet Industry and YouGov shows: The majority of the population supports the expansion of data centers in Germany. At the same time, clear expectations regarding sustainability, energy efficiency, and a future-proof infrastructure are formulated.
The advancing digitalization of the economy, administration, and society is continuously increasing the demand for high-performance IT infrastructures. In particular, cloud applications and artificial intelligence require ever-increasing computing capacities. The Association of the Internet Industry eco e. V. predicts an increase in the required IT connection capacity in Germany of more than 50 percent by 2030. According to the association, actual demand could be significantly higher.
A recent representative survey by YouGov commissioned by eco – Association of the Internet Industry shows that the further expansion of data centers is supported by a broad majority of the population – both at the national and regional levels.
According to the study, 60 percent of respondents consider the further expansion of data centers to be important or very important to strengthen Germany’s digital performance and digital sovereignty. Only seven percent rate the expansion as rather or very unimportant.
High acceptance is also evident at the regional level. 50 percent of respondents support the expansion of data center infrastructure in their own region, while only 11 percent reject it. A further 24 percent are neutral on the subject.
The results show that approval for the expansion clearly outweighs opposition and that digital infrastructure is perceived by many people as an important component of a future-proof economy.
Despite the general approval, many respondents express specific expectations for the sustainable operation of new data centers. The following aspects in particular are viewed critically:
The results make it clear that social acceptance is closely linked to topics such as energy efficiency, resource conservation, and transparent planning.
A closer look at the survey shows that economic reservations play only a minor role. Only 14 percent of respondents are of the opinion that data centers create too few local jobs. Likewise, 14 percent do not see sufficient direct benefit for the respective region.
Classic acceptance problems also play a comparatively minor role: only 17 percent fear negative impacts on the landscape or townscape, while 15 percent view noise or waste heat critically.
It is also noteworthy that 17 percent of respondents do not view data centers critically in principle.
The Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures sees the results as a clear mandate for politics and industry. Among other things, faster approval procedures, competitive electricity prices, and the stronger integration of data centers into municipal energy and heating networks are required in order to make sensible use of the resulting waste heat.
The survey makes it clear: The social foundation for the further expansion of digital infrastructure exists. It will be crucial to combine the increasing demand for computing capacity with sustainable concepts and transparent communication.
The full survey “Majority of the population supports data center expansion in Germany” by YouGov and eco – Association of the Internet Industry is available for free download.
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