Manufacturing & Supply Chain

A new survey released today from Host in Ireland finds an optimistic business outlook over the next twelve months for the Irish data centre industry. Ninety-six percent (96%) of companies surveyed are positive or very positive about business opportunities within the data centre and hosting service industry. Eighty-four percent (84%) of these companies also expect their employee base to grow in the next 12 months, potentially creating more than 1800 new jobs. The survey was conducted with a sample of 50 companies in the data centre ecosystem in Ireland, including Host in Ireland partners and other invited participants.

It’s safe to say 2020 has been an unexpected year, fundamentally changing how we live, work and play. Technology has been adopted at rates previously unimagined and data processing and storage have exploded. While the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on many industries worldwide, the data centre industry shows signs of long-term growth and stability. Data centres have been one of the top performing asset classes in global real estate investment in 2020 due to the increased demand for digital infrastructure created by the pandemic.

According to Anthony McDermott, director and co-founder of construction consultants Mitchell McDermott, “we expect to see CAPEX spend for Irish data centres reduced by only 0-5% due to COVID-19 in 2020. This compares very favourably to some sectors in the construction industry which will see larger decreases.”

“The role of the data centre in keeping our economy moving in the last few months has reinforced the critical nature of our industry. We have a real opportunity to attract, develop and retain new talent as we look to keep pace with the growing business demand,” said Hannah Ormondroyd, Head of People, Data Centre Solutions, CBRE. “There is also the possibility we can help recently furloughed employees find a new home and transfer their skill sets to a new industry.”

“Data centres are the digital factories of today and have been one of the few completely open for business during the pandemic. As significant portions of our lives shifted to an online world, the industry has felt a great sense of purpose as essential workers being on the digital frontline,” said Garry Connolly, president and founder of Host in Ireland. “The positive outlook and enthusiasm is understandable. When you take that, plus the renewable energy resources Ireland has at its disposal, there is a real opportunity to build and maintain Ireland’s leading position in the global digital datasphere.”