SUNNYVALE, Calif., and ST. GHISLAIN, Belgium — Oct. 8, 2025 — Google today announced a new, two-year €5 billion investment in Belgium (2026-2027). The funds will expand the company’s data center campus in St. Ghislain and add 300 full-time jobs. Google also announced new carbon-free energy agreements and support for local AI skilling programs.
This investment will extend the company’s AI capabilities to meet growing demand for Google Cloud while powering the company’s other popular services — such as Search, Maps, and Workspace — that organizations and people in Belgium, as well as billions around the world, use every day. Infrastructure investments like these unlock economic opportunities for businesses, drive scientific breakthroughs, and generate new career opportunities across the country.
Once complete, the expanded St. Ghislain facility will strengthen Google Cloud’s Belgium region, which is part of the company’s global network of 42 regions that delivers the high-performance and low-latency services that businesses and organizations — including Odoo, UZ Leuven, and AZ Delta — use to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions.
The announcement was made in the presence of HRH Princess Astrid of Belgium during the Belgian Economic Mission to the United States.
“Google’s new investment is a powerful sign of trust in Belgium as a hub for digital innovation and sustainable growth. By expanding advanced cloud and AI infrastructure in St. Ghislain, creating skilled jobs, and securing new carbon‑free energy, Belgium not only strengthens its economy and energy transition. This project is also of strategic importance, consolidating our role as a leader in Europe’s digital future,” Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said.
"The €5 billion investment announced by Google in Saint-Ghislain confirms Wallonia's central role as a European hub for data processing and storage. It creates jobs in the digital sector, stimulates innovation and economic activity around the site, improves local infrastructure, and strengthens the development of artificial intelligence skills. This investment also contributes to strengthening our region's digital sovereignty and is therefore fully in line with the priorities of our next digital strategy. It illustrates our ability to reconcile economic attractiveness and technological innovation for the benefit of the entire Walloon region," said Pierre-Yves Jeholet, in his capacity as Vice-President of the Government of Wallonia.
“This development makes us a dynamic innovative ecosystem, creating opportunities for other businesses too. And we should be proud, as local representatives, to do everything we can, hand in hand with inter-city development agency IDEA, to help them integrate in the best possible way", added Florence Monier, Mayor of St. Ghislain
“Belgium values the exchange with global tech leaders like Google. Strengthening our cyber and data capabilities requires open dialogue, while firmly safeguarding our sovereignty and security,” said Theo Francken, Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade.
"We welcome Google's decision to further invest in Belgium, reinforcing the region’s role as a key driver of digital innovation in Europe and further strengthening our partnership. At Proximus, we are advancing on sovereign cloud capabilities that enable organizations to securely unlock the potential of AI and data. This initiative complements our broader strategy to support digital transformation across industries”, said Fabrice De Windt, CEO Proximus NXT IT & Corporate Segment Lead a.i., one of Google’s key partners in Belgium.
“With today’s announcement, Google is deepening its roots in Belgium, extending our investments in the country and creating new avenues for AI-driven transformation,” said Bikash Koley, Vice President, Google Global Infrastructure. “Our investments in technical infrastructure and AI skills development help ensure people across Belgium and across Europe have access to opportunity in this exciting era of European innovation.”
Growing a digital economy in Belgium and Europe
Belgium has an incredible opportunity with AI. An Implement Consulting study, commissioned in 2024 by Google, found that generative AI alone could boost Belgium's gross domestic product (GDP) by €45-50 billion over 10 years with widespread adoption. Digital infrastructure is the engine behind this growing AI economy. Today’s announcement brings Google’s total investment in Belgium to more than €11 billion since breaking ground on its first data center in St. Ghislain in 2007.
The facility in St. Ghislain currently creates jobs for approximately 600 people in full-time and contractor roles — from computer technicians to electrical and mechanical engineers, to security, catering and facilities management. The expansion will add another 300 jobs at Google’s data centers in Wallonia, bringing the total number of direct jobs to over 900.
Google’s ongoing investment in Belgium offers a tangible example of AI-driven transformation bolstering the local economy. According to a report by Université de Mons and Deloitte, Google’s historical data center investments are estimated to have generated a total economic impact of €697 million in GDP from 2022 to 2024 and are expected to add more than €1.5 billion annually from 2026 to 2027. These investments will also support an average of 14,950 jobs per year during that period, while creating substantial opportunities for local companies. Already today, Google works with nearly 150 Belgian suppliers, including 80 in Wallonia, for its Belgian data center operations.
Upskilling for an AI-driven future
Equipping Belgians with digital knowledge and skills is paramount in realizing the economic opportunity of AI. Google.org today announced an effort to prepare the Belgian workforce for an AI-driven economy by funding non-profits to support free, practical AI training for workers looking to upskill or transition careers.
Local carbon-free energy and water investments
Google operates among the most energy-efficient data centers in the world and is committed to responsibly growing its infrastructure. Today, the company announced new deals with Eneco, Luminus, and Renner of more than 110 megawatts (MW), advancing Google’s ambition to run on 24/7 carbon-free energy (CFE) on every grid where it operates.
With today's announcements, Google has supported 365 MW of new clean energy resources in Belgium, increasing grid reliability and electricity affordability for all. Since Google began purchasing renewable energy in 2010, the company has signed wind and solar agreements in Europe totaling more than 4.5 gigawatts of clean energy generation capacity. Google is also working with grid partner Centrica Energy and transmission system operator Elia to integrate a demand response capability in conjunction with the St. Ghislain facility’s battery storage system.
Beyond its operations, the company is improving local watershed health near its offices and data centers, with a goal to replenish 120% of the water it consumes, on average, by 2030. In Belgium, Google is supporting Shayp’s IoT leak detection system in 240 non-residential buildings near the St. Ghislain data center. This technology will identify and address leaks, and reduce average annual water waste by approximately 500 cubic meters by 2030. This means lower operating costs for universities, schools and public buildings, as well as a more sustainable future for data center communities.