Albania Economia
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Albania is accelerating its digital transformation by awarding the construction of its first large-scale national data center to Israeli company Albania Data Center (ADC). The strategic project, valued at approximately €100 million, will be located within the TEDA Special Economic Zone near Tirana and aims to position the country as an emerging technology hub in Southeast Europe.
The data center will be developed with an initial capacity of 32 megawatts, with the potential to expand to 100 megawatts, a scale that would place it among the region’s leading digital infrastructures. The facility is designed to support advanced data processing and artificial intelligence applications, leveraging Nvidia technologies for high-performance computing systems.
The initiative comes amid rapidly growing global demand for digital infrastructure, driven by the expansion of artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and advanced digital services. According to preliminary reports, the center has already attracted interest from both private and institutional clients, including local technology companies, European data storage operators, and government entities.
ADC is jointly owned by Happy Technologies, which holds an 80% stake, and data center consulting firm DIT, which owns the remaining 20%. Happy Technologies is a cybersecurity and computing company controlled by entrepreneurs Roi Shaposhnik, Noam Frank, Shlomi Avni and Itai Melchior. DIT is led by industry experts Zvika Friedman, Nir Poltorak and Dan Carmi, all of whom bring extensive experience in the development and management of data center infrastructures. Source: globes
One of the project’s distinguishing features is its energy profile. The facility will be primarily powered by locally generated hydroelectric energy, enhancing its appeal to international operators increasingly focused on sustainable and low-emission solutions. To ensure energy reliability, plans also include the construction of a dedicated electrical substation.
From a regulatory standpoint, the project benefited from an accelerated approval process. Albanian authorities granted construction permits in a notably short timeframe, highlighting the strategic importance of the infrastructure for technological development and foreign investment attraction. Albania, a NATO member and candidate country for European Union membership, is seeking to strengthen its digital competitiveness and enhance the security of its national IT infrastructure.
Financially, ADC has secured support from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), which will provide a credit facility covering approximately 75% of the total investment. The involvement of the multilateral institution further strengthens the project’s credibility and its potential impact on the regional economic landscape.
The investment also contributes to strengthening technological cooperation between Israel and Albania, which has intensified in recent years, particularly in the fields of cybersecurity and digital infrastructure protection. The construction of the data center is expected to generate positive spillover effects, including the creation of high-skilled jobs, the development of the local IT sector, and the strengthening of the country’s digital sovereignty.
Through this project, Tirana aims to integrate more firmly into the European network of digital infrastructures, leveraging its strategic geographic location, renewable energy resources, and international partnerships to support the growth of its technology-driven economy.
