Goodman continues investment in Germany’s digital economy

With data consumption at an all-time high, the need for data centres to power the digital economy has rapidly increased. The strategic location of Goodman’s properties and its international data centre development experience will see it develop a data centre in Frankfurt on the site of a former newspaper printing plant.

Christof Prange, Head of Germany at Goodman, said: “Goodman’s focus on strategic infill locations means that we have sites that are attractive for a wide range of uses including data centres.”

“Many of our sites are located close to consumers and have access to power – important ingredients in being able to serve the data needs of the growing digital economy. Moving into data centre development in Germany was a natural evolution for us to complement our wider portfolio of logistics facilities, light industrial parks and multi-level developments.”

Goodman recently purchased the 4.5-hectare brownfield plot in Neu-Isenburg, south of Frankfurt and is set to transform it into a high-quality powered shell data centre. Goodman FRA II Data Centre will offer a power capacity of up to 100 MVA, ready for customers to install their technical fit-out.

Frankfurt is among Europe’s top data centre markets alongside London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin. In close proximity to Frankfurt, Neu-Isenburg’s strategic location benefits from a low risk profile and strong existing infrastructure and connectivity, with more than six on-net fibre providers nearby and within nine kilometres of DE-CIX and Hanauer Landstraße in Frankfurt.

Matthieu Wieczorek, Data Centre Development Lead at Goodman, said: “Demand for server capacity, cloud space and data storage infrastructure in Germany and Continental Europe continues to rise, yet supply is lagging.

“Goodman’s FRA II Data Centre will transform a vacant brownfield site into an essential piece of infrastructure serving millions of end users, supporting the continued growth of Frankfurt’s economy. 

“This development gives us the opportunity to bring our expertise to Germany and the wider Continental European market, having developed our first data centre more than two decades ago in Sydney. Our global data centre portfolio currently spans Tokyo, Sydney and Hong Kong, with plans to expand into other markets as opportunities arise.”

Goodman’s team will apply its extensive experience in brownfield regeneration to deliver its FRA II Data Centre, maintaining its focus on brownfield developments in Germany as well as all over Continental Europe. Wider sustainability features of the development include a green façade to support biodiversity and positively contribute to micro-climatic conditions, while the property will be waste heat recovery ready, offering customers the opportunity to reuse their excess heat.