Data Center Register to Support Decision-Making and Strategic Planning
A data center register could strenghten the knowledge base for decision-making and support the strategic development of Finland’s digital infrastructure. CSC submitted a statement to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on the government proposal for legislation establishing a national data center register. CSC emphasizes that the register should take into account the different purposes of data centers, the societal value they create, as well as perspectives related to competitiveness, security and the data economy.
CSC considers the establishment of a data center register justified and an important means of creating a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of Finland’s data centers, their operations and their impacts. The register should support understanding of the type of digital infrastructure being developed in Finland and the economic and societal value it generates. Equally important is the ability to guide development strategically and identify new business opportunities and value-creating partnerships.
CSC highlights that data centers should not be viewed solely as industrial consumers of electricity. They play a key role in Finland’s data economy and digital infrastructure and have significant potential to create value for society. Finland should therefore aim to foster an operating environment for high-value data centers that strengthens research, innovation, business development and economic value creation.
From the perspective of competitiveness, security and digital sovereignty, it is also important to examine what data is stored and processed in data centers and who controls that data. Data is the key resource and value-generating asset of data center operations, and its governance has implications for Finland’s competitiveness, digital sovereignty and security. This perspective should be more strongly reflected in the overall understanding of data centers and digital infrastructure. In addition, the register should enable different types of data centers to be identified and their significance assessed as part of Finland’s digital infrastructure.
CSC stresses that the further development of the register should take into account the different purposes of data centers, the strategic importance of research and computing infrastructures, and the interoperability of information systems. In addition, security considerations, the assessment of energy efficiency, and consistent definitions for electricity consumption and capacity-related data are essential to ensure the register’s effectiveness and usability.
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Irina Kupiainen
Irina Kupiainen is responsible for CSC’s public affairs.