Digital Realty ROM1 Rome

Status: Under Construction (Phase 1)   |   Location: Rome West

Project Overview

The Digital Realty ROM1 Rome Campus marks one of the most significant shifts in European digital infrastructure as of April 2026. Long overshadowed by the "FLAP" markets (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, and Paris), Rome is now emerging as the "Digital Gateway to the Mediterranean". Digital Realty’s €2 billion investment into the Italian market, headlined by the ROM1 project, signals a major decentralisation of data traffic toward the south, driven by the need for low-latency connections to Africa and the Middle East. The strategic importance of ROM1 lies in its geographical positioning. As subsea cable projects like BlueMed and Raman come online, Rome serves as the ideal terrestrial landing point for data flowing from the Indo-Pacific and African regions into mainland Europe. By situating a 120MW campus in Rome, Digital Realty is providing hyperscalers and global enterprises with a "data meeting place" that bypasses the congestion of traditional Northern European hubs. This reduces latency for Mediterranean users by up to 40%, a critical factor for the real-time AI agents and autonomous systems launching in 2026. Building a hyperscale facility in Rome presents unique challenges, particularly regarding heritage and environmental impact. Digital Realty has committed to a "Circular Infrastructure" model for ROM1. The facility will utilize advanced liquid cooling to support high-density AI workloads, which is more space-efficient and quieter than traditional air-cooled systems—a necessity for urban integration. The campus will be powered entirely by certified renewable energy, sourced through Italian power provider Terna, and will feature a waste-heat recovery system designed to feed into local district heating schemes as part of Rome's 2030 sustainability roadmap.

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