Italy: Apto to invest $3.4bn to build largest data center campus

Milan: European firm Apto plans to build a data center campus on a 228,000 sqm (2,454,170 sq ft) site in Lacchiarella, near Milan, Italy.

The company intends to invest a total of €3 billion ($3.4bn) in the site, which will have up to 300MV of planned power capacity to support cloud and AI applications in the region.

Apto says the site will be the largest data center campus in Italy and is set to feature up to five standalone data centers, each designed for high-capacity workloads. The site will also have access to renewable sources and international submarine cable systems, including BlueMed and 2Africa.

Apto added that the campus has been designed for “high efficiency and long-term sustainability, using low carbon materials,” and will have rooftop solar panels generating up to 2,725kWp. The company will also partner with local schools and universities to help support digital skills and attract further investment to the region, and has agreed to upgrade local transport infrastructure and add a new pedestrian and cycle path.

“Milan is a high-growth market and we’re proud to have secured such a strategically located site with direct access to key networks and long-term development potential,” said Russell Poole, CEO of Apto. “This move sends a strong signal: Apto is ready to deliver the digital capacity the region needs to grow.”

Apto was launched last year by Pimco, an American investment management firm owned by Allianz Group, and has a large European real estate platform.

The data center company is led by Poole, who was previously a long-serving UK managing director at Equinix. Poole joined Equinix in 2007 after the company acquired IXEurope.

In October 2024, Apto partnered with Dromeus Capital to develop a €300 million ($328m) data center in Athens, Greece.