European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen delivered a keynote at the opening of our newest data center

As Europe steps up its ambitions in artificial intelligence and digital innovation, digital infrastructure is becoming a strategic priority. Against this backdrop, the opening of LCL’s newest data center in LCL Brussels-North comes at a pivotal moment. The presence of Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, underlined the wider significance of this investment for Belgium and for Europe as a whole.

In her keynote, Virkkunen focused on the structural challenges Europe still faces. She stressed that “technological power has become geopolitical power”, pointing to Europe’s persistent infrastructure and investment gap and its continued reliance on non-European cloud and AI providers. Initiatives such as AI factories and future AI gigafactories are intended to strengthen Europe’s computing capacity, while the forthcoming Cloud and AI Development Act is expected to create a more favourable framework for investment, innovation and the deployment of European technologies.

“Technological power has become geopolitical power.”

Sustainability was another central theme in Virkkunen’s speech. As she noted, “innovation must also contribute to our climate objectives”. Europe’s next generation of digital infrastructure will therefore need to combine performance with energy efficiency, advanced cooling technologies and responsible resource management.

In that context, data centers play a foundational role. They underpin cloud services, AI development and the wider digital economy. Investment in modern, sustainable facilities is therefore essential to strengthening Europe’s digital resilience and long-term competitiveness.

“Innovation must also contribute to our climate objectives.”

LCL’s new data center in LCL Brussels-North reflects that direction. By expanding sustainable digital infrastructure in the heart of Europe, LCL is helping to build the capacity needed to support the continent’s digital future, strengthen its resilience and reduce its strategic dependencies.