Google has just announced, during the Belgian economic mission in California, a historic €5 billion investment in Belgium by 2027. With this expansion, the American giant will have invested more than €11 billion in our country since 2007.
Saint-Ghislain at the heart of Google’s Walloon success story
Back in 2007, when Google chose Saint-Ghislain, near Mons, to build its very first data center outside the United States, few could have imagined how far this story would go. Eighteen years later, that visionary decision has turned Wallonia into a strategic global hub for Google.
During the economic mission to California led by HRH Princess Astrid, Google confirmed an additional €5 billion investment to expand its Hainaut campus — an impressive figure that underlines the company’s long-term commitment to Belgium.
A growing region, a thriving site
Today, the Saint-Ghislain data center already employs around 600 people. The new expansion will add 300 more jobs, further strengthening Google’s local footprint.
Beyond employment, the impact is much wider: 80 Walloon suppliers are directly involved in the project, and the economic benefits already amount to hundreds of millions of euros. A study by Deloitte and the University of Mons estimates that these investments could generate up to €1.5 billion in GDP annually by 2027, while supporting nearly 15,000 direct and indirect jobs each year.
From Silicon Valley to Borinage: building a bridge to the future
The announcement was made in Silicon Valley, the world’s innovation capital. Yet, it is in Wallonia that these billions are being invested. The servers in Saint-Ghislain power services used by billions of people daily — Google Search, Maps, Workspace — and above all, the Cloud infrastructure driving the rise of generative AI.
As Tom De Block, Google’s Country Manager BeLux, explained:
“Artificial intelligence is an immense opportunity. But to seize it, you need strong infrastructure. Saint-Ghislain plays a key role for all of Europe.”
Innovation meets sustainability
Google is coupling this expansion with ambitious sustainability commitments:
- Aiming for 24/7 carbon-free operations by 2030;
- New renewable energy contracts with Belgian providers such as Eneco, Luminus and Renner;
- A pledge to replenish 120% of the water consumed by the site.
These commitments send a strong signal: Wallonia is positioning itself as both an economic magnet and a driver of the green transition.
A Walloon pride
For the Walloon authorities, this new investment proves the Region’s ability to host world-class projects.
Pierre-Yves Jeholet, Walloon Minister of Economy, highlighted it as:
“A confirmation of Wallonia’s central role as a European hub for data processing and storage, serving innovation and job creation.”
All over the world, data center investments are booming, driven by the massive computing power required for AI. In Belgium, Google’s new commitments are part of this global trend — designed to strengthen the company’s AI capacity and meet growing Cloud demand.
A story that continues
When Saint-Ghislain welcomed Google’s very first data center outside the US in 2007, it became a world pioneer. Today, Wallonia continues to write this success story with a project that places Hainaut at the heart of tomorrow’s digital and energy revolution.
And maybe, just maybe, the future of global artificial intelligence will also be written… in Wallonia.
Illustrations © BELGA IMAGES
