Atlantic Data Infrastructure (ADI), a world-class data centre to support the digital transformation of companies and institutions, has been created

Euskaltel, Teknei Group, Dominion and the Basque Government create “Atlantic Data Infrastructure” (ADI), a top level data centre to support the digital transformation of companies and institutions.

A first installation is planned for the Bizkaia Science and Technology Park, Abanto Campus, with subsequent extensions distributed throughout the Autonomous Community. The economic impact of the ADI on the Basque GDP could amount to more than 3,000 million euros.

The creation of this new state-of-the-art technological infrastructure for data processing will enable the proliferation of an ecosystem of digital companies, with the consequent “economic and social impact on the area”.

It is set to become the data centre of reference in the Atlantic area, through advanced services for the public and private sector, which will provide “excellence, reliability, sustainability, scalability and proximity”.

Euskaltel, Teknei Group, Dominion and the Basque Government have created the “Atlantic Data Infrastructure” (ADI), a large top-level data centre aimed at the private and public sector in the Atlantic area. This new technological infrastructure will provide companies and institutions with a large storage capacity of information in the cloud, under criteria of maximum security and proximity, on which to develop their digital transformation processes. A data centre that will provide “excellence, reliability, sustainability, scalability and proximity”, and which will also generate “a significant economic and social impact in its area of influence”.

The new company is initially owned 21.25% by Euskaltel, 21.25% by Dominion, 21.25% by Teknei and 21.25% by Sistemas y Tratamientos Automáticos – the latter two are part of the Teknei Group -, and 15% by the Basque Government, although the entity was created with the aim of welcoming new partners in the near future. To lead the project, the partners have appointed Alex Etxeberria, a professional with extensive experience and knowledge in the ICT sector, as General Manager of the company.

The project plans to carry out a first installation in the Science and Technology Park of Bizkaia, Ezkerraldea – Meatzaldea Campus – which will provide services from the first half of 2024 -, and subsequently a second, and possibly a third installation, in distributed locations. Each installation will consist of two modules, of 1MW each, which will be progressively commissioned. Prior to that date, ADI will be able to start providing services to its customers from the second quarter of 2023 thanks to the facilities of its partner Euskaltel in the Zamudio Technology Park.

In addition to the breakthrough that the creation of the Data Centre represents in the process of digital transformation and the development of an ecosystem of digital institutions and companies, building a large data centre brings additional benefits for the local economy, such as the generation of jobs and the creation of wealth in its area of influence. It is estimated that the economic impact of the Data Centre will be more than €3.000 million.

Generating real impact in digital transformation

ADI was created with the aim of providing “excellence, reliability, sustainability, scalability and proximity, and generating economic and social impact in its area of influence”, attracting large local and international technology operators to the territory and channelling the opportunities associated with the digitisation of local companies and institutions:

• It will allow companies with high data requirements to have access to a first class infrastructure offer in the Territory.
• It will attract the installation of services by companies related to data processing in the territory that want to take advantage of the proximity of the data infrastructure, with minimum latency and management and support in physical proximity.
• It will facilitate the attraction and creation of new companies that, through the Data Centre infrastructure, will offer advanced data management services to sectors such as manufacturing, finance and health.
• It will offer services directly to the public administration, maintaining criteria of proximity in a first class infrastructure, with special attention to the security and confidentiality of the data.
• It will promote the development of R&D&I projects together with the business fabric and research centres, facilitating the incorporation of technologies that are highly demanding in terms of computing capacity.
• It will promote the participation of local companies in European projects related to data management.
• Strengthen energy innovation associated with this type of infrastructure and in relation to clean and renewable alternatives (hydrogen, for example).
• It will promote the training and development of profiles with high digital and innovation skills.

Technological infrastructure and advanced cloud services

To achieve its objective of promoting the digitalisation of institutions and companies, ADI will primarily provide infrastructure services as a service (Iaas), but will complement these with an offer of platforms and services as a service (Paas and Saas), adapting to the needs of its customers and to the offer of other members of the ecosystem, both local and international, with which it will promote different types of collaboration. It also plans to develop specific infrastructures for hyperscale and for the development of artificial intelligence.

ADI, as part of its commitment to providing its customers with advanced cloud services, will guarantee the safekeeping of their information in strict compliance with current European data protection legislation.

Aimed at private and public clients

ADI’s potential client portfolio covers both the private and public sectors. Within the private sector, ADI will offer its technological infrastructures and services to both SMEs and medium and large companies with Infrastructure, applications and systems needs for the management of their business, as well as cloud solutions verticalised by sector.

In the private sector, in addition to services to companies, ADI is the best option for CDNs – Content Delivery Networks – that need to locate content in the region to offer a better service to their users, with a dedicated infrastructure and a close commercial team.

Highest level of reliability and sustainability

Reliability and sustainability are key elements in ADI’s design, as they are two essential aspects for the customers it will serve.

The project is being designed to meet the highest level of reliability and performance for data centres: TIER IV, which requires a level of availability greater than 99.995% of the time, according to the Uptime Institute’s Tier Standard, the globally recognised standard for reliability and overall performance of data centres.

Likewise, in terms of sustainability, the project expects to achieve the highest LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification, the Platinum level, accrediting that the facilities have the least possible impact on the environment and the resident population.

Furthermore, the project will enable the Basque Country’s excellent location within the framework of the general European telecommunications infrastructure, recently reinforced with the 6,500-kilometre Grace Hopper submarine cable linking New York with Bilbao, to be highlighted. Despite the versatility offered by cloud systems, the proximity to this type of infrastructure offers clear advantages and benefits, which are even more evident in the search for higher rates of excellence in the continuity of critical services.

Data Centre Industry Explosion

The Data Center industry in the Spanish market will increase its power range from 200 to 500 MW in the next 24 months with the entry of new players such as Amazon, Google or Microsoft. Currently, the ecosystem is made up of around 100 data centres and hosting companies. Most of the supply is concentrated in Madrid and the main services offered are basic.

In the case of the Atlantic area, there are currently some players with a physical presence and commercial activity that, however, have a different value proposition to that of ADI.