Iberian Peninsula: World’s First AI-Ready Digital Hub
The Iberian Peninsula is rapidly emerging as a premier global digital ecosystem, a transformation set to ignite a surge of investment in data centers and Artificial Intelligence (AI) across Portugal and Spain. According to Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, the region is uniquely positioned to become the world’s first “AI-ready” digital hub.
A Distributed Powerhouse: Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona
Speaking at the Atlantic Convergence conference in Lisbon, Ivanov highlighted how the strategic interconnection of three key hubs—Lisbon, Madrid, and Barcelona—creates a robust infrastructure capable of handling the massive data demands of the AI era. A recent study by Dstream Group, commissioned by DE-CIX, identifies the peninsula as a critical gateway for global connectivity.
“Lisbon serves as the essential gateway for transatlantic traffic, bridging Europe with Africa, Latin America, and North America,” Ivanov explained. “Madrid currently hosts the largest business-oriented ecosystem in Southern Europe, while Barcelona offers a vital Mediterranean alternative for international firms.”
This distributed network allows AI applications hosted in Madrid to be seamlessly accessed across other regional hubs, providing the low-latency connectivity required for training complex AI models.
Data Sovereignty and Local Investment
Beyond technical performance, Ivanov emphasized that building this infrastructure locally is a matter of national importance. “It is a valuable contribution to a fundamental issue: sovereignty,” he said. By acting as a magnet for digital activity, the region ensures that sensitive data remains within its borders, providing security for governments and private organizations alike.
The growth of this ecosystem is expected to draw significant capital into both countries, specifically for the construction of specialized data centers designed to power next-generation AI technologies.
Bridging the Atlantic: The Brazil-Portugal Corridor
DE-CIX is also looking south. The company recently signed a letter of intent with Cabo Verde Telecom (CVTelecom) to explore a new interconnection corridor in the South Atlantic. This partnership leverages the EllaLink submarine cable, which connects Brazil directly to Portugal.
Ivanov noted that this corridor will integrate Brazil—Latin America’s largest market—with the European continent. The high-performance link will facilitate everything from the exchange of popular media content, such as soap operas, to critical business application traffic for multinational corporations.
“This creates an excellent transatlantic corridor,” Ivanov said. “It allows organizations on both sides of the ocean to expand their reach, uniting major ecosystems in Southern Europe and Latin America.”
Image: Pexels – Brett Sayles
