Green's Journey of Growth and Innovation in an Emerging Region

Switzerland is not only an attractive hub for business and research but also a rapidly growing data center market at the heart of Europe. Since its founding in 1995, Green has continually evolved, aligning with customer needs while anticipating market trends and technological innovation. This success is reflected in being named Switzerland’s leading data center provider for the fifth consecutive year.

Green is growing, with and for its customers. The company currently operates six data centers across four locations in Switzerland. At the Zurich and Zurich West campus locations, three more data centers are under construction. Green is doubling its data center capacity every two to three years, with no signs of slowing down.
 

Drivers of growth

The growing demand for data centers is a direct result of advancing digitalization, impacting every industry from finance to manufacturing. Cloud adoption has become the norm across many sectors, and As-a-Service models are now widespread. Data volumes and the need for computing power are increasing relentlessly, and artificial intelligence is just beginning to emerge.

From Enterprise to Hyperscale

As their preferred opportunity in Switzerland, Green understands the demands of leading cloud providers (hyperscalers) as well as those of large enterprises in finance, pharmaceuticals, industry, and ICT. With a portfolio that offers high-performance, resilient data centers, complemented by platforms, connectivity, and additional services, Green supports hybrid IT infrastructures. This approach is particularly appealing to enterprise customers. Green guides companies on their cloud journey and stands out through its close proximity to hyperscalers and their services.

Growth also means increasing responsibility

For Green, this growth also brings increased responsibility in how the company integrates its market performance into society and shapes the digital future sustainably. Green is one of Switzerland’s pioneers in utilizing waste heat and has been recognized for its achievements. The Metro-Campus Zurich, Green’s latest project, supplies 11,500 households in the region with waste heat while providing cooling in return. This solution is highly energy-efficient. Green initiated the project, brought together the involved parties, and supported the development of the heating network. “Our guiding principle is to ‘do the right thing.’ Even when it’s challenging, I firmly believe it’s the only way forward. Our resources are precious, and we cannot allow waste heat to go unused,” says Roger Süess.

In the past, cities developed along rivers, bridges, and trade routes. Today, it’s similar with data centers. Roger Süess explains, “We expand to locations near high-speed data networks, economic zones, and places where data or applications create value and where we can generate circular benefits.”

Data centers are planned based on factors such as high availability, geo-redundancy, latency, energy, geology, and more. However, he says, "We also aim to establish ourselves where we can optimize our resource use, maintain attractive design, and integrate seamlessly into the urban landscape."

Roger Süess adds, "Locations are carefully chosen to maximize the opportunities of the circular economy, as we do with waste heat utilization. But as data center operators, we can't tackle this alone. These projects require extensive and forward-thinking cooperation between businesses, authorities, and consumers. It's about far more than just placing the next data center on a greenfield site. That's the challenge, but also the fascination."

What's next on the journey?

The next 18 months will be an intense period for Green, with additional construction projects, commissioning, and the integration of these data centers into operations. “We are also currently planning several other projects in Switzerland,” says Roger Süess.

After that, a pan-European initiative could be the next major step for Green. With the rise of artificial intelligence and the sharp increase in demand, the challenge for Green will be to ask its customers: How much do you need?