Digital Economy
Groundbreaking Ceremony at Microsoft’s NRW Data Center
Microsoft has broken ground in Bergheim as part of a symbolic ceremony for a new data center cluster in the Rheinisches Revier region (“Rhinish mining area”) in North Rhine-Westphalia. The US multinational is investing EUR 3.2 billion in three data centers situated in Bergheim, Bedburg and Elsdorf as well as at an additional site in Hesse.
Apr 02, 2026
The hyperscale data centers will allow the US multinational to double its AI infrastructure and cloud computing capacities in Germany. The site benefits from its position at key digital infrastructure corridors, further consolidating the state of North Rhine-Westphalia’s reputation as a leading digital hub. Speaking at the ceremony in March, North Rhine-Westphalia Minister of Economic Affairs Mona Neubauer spoke of the developments as a “starting signal” for the Rhinish mining area that will attract other companies to the region in transformation. The project has received strong political support as the Rhinish mining area transitions from a fossil-fuel mining region to a digital future region.
Microsoft first announced its plans to build in Bergheim in November 2024, with plans to develop an 18-hectare site at the BEB 61 industry estate in Bedburg. This was followed almost a year later with plans to develop a third site in Elsdorf. North Rhine-Westphalia is located northwest of Frankfurt am Main, Germany's data center hotspot and the home of Microsoft's existing cloud region.
