European data center firm Data4 has broken ground on a new campus outside Athens “We’re excited to announce that today, Data4 Group laid the first stone of its brand-new data center campus in Paiania, East Attica, Greece,” the company posted on LinkedIn this week “This marks a significant milestone in our European expansion and we were honored to have Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis The company announced plans for a 90MW campus in September The €300 million ($331m) AT1 site is sat on 7.5 hectares The first of the two buildings is due to go live in early 2027 “We are now a foreign investment-friendly country This is something that is proven not only by Data4's investment but overall by the increased number of investments launched in our country,” Prime Minister Mitsotakis said Brookfield acquired Data4 from Axa IM – the deal was said to be valued at around $3.8 billion. Brookfield Infrastructure Partners is reportedly weighing a minority stake sale in some of the assets of French Data4 Colo firms Sparkle and Digital Realty operate data centers around Athens Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia French group DATA4 is already developing one of the largest complexes of data centers in Greece which in its second phase could reach half a billion euros president and CEO of the company that has data centers in France “We are developing campuses-complexes of data centers This means that areas smaller than 50,000 sq.m It took us quite some time to locate the right-sized plot which is in close proximity to the power distribution station,” he explains DATA4 has secured all the required permits with the bureaucratic procedures progressing for about 18 months The campus will include three data centers It is expected to be completed by late 2026 or early 2027 securing the permits in time so that we were able to start the demolitions and then the construction work for the data centers,” he adds Enter your information below to receive our weekly newsletters with the latest insights opinion pieces and current events straight to your inbox Europea data center firm Data4 is expanding into Greece with a campus outside the capital The Brookfield-owned company this week announced a €300 million ($331m) data center campus in Paiania ATH1 will be built on a 7.5-hectare plot and offer up to 90MW of power capacity "We are delighted to expand our footprint in Greece a country that offers strategic advantages in terms of location and economic potential," said Olivier Micheli "This investment will not only support our growth ambitions but will also make a significant contribution to the local economy and digital ecosystem in Greece." This latest investment is part of the group's €7 billion ($7.7bn) European expansion plan by 2030 along with engineering firms Cap Ingelec and Blue Sun assisted with legal and technical aspects of the construction of the new data center campus Knight Frank advised on securing the transaction; Hill International helped Data4 with consulting and permitting procedures Data Centre Dynamics Ltd (DCD), 32-38 Saffron Hill, London, EC1N 8FH Email. [email protected]DCD is a subsidiary of InfraXmedia In what can only be described as an unforgettable scene at a wedding in Paiania on Saturday (16/10), a priest temporarily stopped the ceremony due to a bridesmaid's fashion faux pas. The unexpected pause occurred when the bridesmaid, perhaps feeling a bit warm, decided to take off her scarf, revealing her bare back and a bit of cleavage. This, however, did not sit well with the officiating priest, who, clearly not a fan of impromptu runway moments, halted the sacred ceremony to address the situation. According to reports from protothema.gr, the priest, with a look of disapproval, turned to the bridesmaid and declared, “Go get dressed and come back, this is not a catwalk,” much to the shock of the couple and wedding guests. The bridesmaid, looking more embarrassed than defiant, quickly complied by covering up with the shawl again, allowing the ceremony to resume and the sacrament to continue. While the wedding itself went on without further interruptions, it's safe to say the priest’s stern remarks will be a topic of conversation long after the vows were exchanged. Some guests reportedly chuckled quietly at the unexpected turn of events, while others nodded in agreement. After all, it’s not every day that a wedding gets temporarily paused for a little impromptu lesson on church fashion etiquette! Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world The Paris-based company is in talks with existing lenders and Greek banks to fund the majority of the project with new debt Chief Executive Officer Olivier Micheli said in an interview with Bloomberg 2024 Greece plans new $330M data center to boost AI expansion Paris-based Data4 plans to invest in Greece to develop a major AI data center hub outside of Athens signaling a boost to the country’s digital infrastructure and economy News COINTELEGRAPH IN YOUR SOCIAL FEEDGreece continues to slowly push its way into the burgeoning artificial intelligence scene in Europe announcing new plans to build a data center in the country the Paris-based company Data4 said it plans to invest nearly 300 million euros ($331 million) in developing a new data center hub in Paiania Bloomberg reported that Olivier Micheli said the firm is currently in negotiations with existing lenders and local Greek banks to fund the project Micheli said that the new site would be a “significant contribution to the local economy and digital ecosystem.” The company manages multiple data centers in six European countries (including Greece) and has a €7 billion investment target for expansion by 2030 It has the capacity to develop two additional centers in its forthcoming Greek hub for an additional €200 million Micheli said the additional investments are still being negotiated with local authorities Data centers are typically large facilities equipped with vast computing resources to power heavy workloads The world’s most powerful AI models — such as OpenAI’s GPT-4 or Anthropic’s Claude — require large amounts of computational power in order to operate at such a high level As these models become increasingly integrated into modern life data centers will play a crucial role in supplying the necessary power for them to function effectively Related: Converting mining sites to AI data centers isn't seamless: Sabre56 CEO Major AI developers like Microsoft have been pouring in investments in data centers and AI-related initiatives across Europe. In February 2024, the company announced a $2 billion investment in Spain to develop AI data centers data centers don’t come cheap when it comes to energy and many key locations in Europe aren’t known for the lowest of energy prices electricity prices for non-household consumers in Europe have skyrocketed Although there was a slight dip in the second half of 2023 The EU average price in the second half of 2023 was c Greece finds itself on the higher end of prices with just over €0.15 per kWh the continent has taken a proactive stance when it comes to preparing the region for AI developments - for better or worse This year legislators across the EU signed their EU AI Act into law, which came into effect on Aug The AI Act regulates the development and deployment of AI systems within the region In October 2023, the Greek government established an AI advisory committee to create a national strategy composed of some of the country’s top tech However, the EU’s policies have already faced pushback from large tech developers seeking to launch their products in the area. In August, tech firms penned a letter to EU lawmakers asking for more time to comply Prior to that, in July, Meta said that it would not be launching its new AI products in the EU citing “regulatory uncertainty.” Apple just released its latest iPhone 16 on Sep which is equipped with new AI features that were left out of EU-based models Magazine: AI may already use more power than Bitcoin — and it threatens Bitcoin mining A rare encounter with a revered teacher of Bihar Yoga in the birthplace of Socrates is believed to be the birthplace of the philosopher Socrates (469-399 BCE) and the orator Demosthenes (384-322 BCE) but tourists still visit Paiania—a 30-minute drive from Athens—to see the famous Koutaki cave which lies on the slopes of Mount Hymettos a residential yoga ashram established by Swami Sivamurti Saraswati in 1984 The ashram’s imposing metal gates stand amidst dense The blaring horns and thick smog of Athens are forgotten in the sounds of crickets and birds There is not a soul in sight and the stillness is intimidating I press a bell; its shrill sound pierces the silence I explain that I have an appointment with Sivamurti set in a small but beautifully manicured garden a lady dressed in a simple orange robe approaches and introduces herself as Atmaja She tells me that I’m extremely lucky to get an appointment with her guru as she travels most of the time teaching courses and had only arrived at the ashram the previous day came about setting up a yoga ashram in Greece [who founded the Bihar School of Yoga in 1964] gave me the mandate to teach yoga in Greece,” says Sivamurti “His mission was ‘to carry the message of yoga from shore to shore and from door to door’ the Greek Orthodox Church thought yoga was a form of religion the bishop there told me that he would welcome yoga kirtan and chanting in church; that he would welcome a spiritual lifestyle.” She says that the ashram is flanked by two Greek Orthodox monasteries with which it has harmonious relations when I taught a yoga course in South America Satyanandashram Hellas offers training in the sanyasa gurukul tradition “Yoga has become a bit of a supermarket these days,” says Sivamurti should be incorporated into one’s lifestyle A person following any religion can practise yoga begins early in the morning with yoga and chanting Ashramites then go to work in various departments: IT we chant the Mahamrityunjaya mantra 108 times for world peace,” says Sivamurti Satyanandashram Hellas is based on ‘seva yoga’ where all services are voluntary the Satyanandashram Math kitchen feeds the homeless and unemployed Satyananda teachers conduct yoga classes for migrants in Greek and instructions are simultaneously translated into Arabic and other languages Sivamurti travels to India at least three times a year “Leading a sanyasi lifestyle is my passion and it is challenging I have been doing it for more than 40 years.” Sivamurti presents me with a gift: a bagful of books on the teachings of Satyananda “This must be the last thing you want to carry on a flight back home!” she says Atmaja offers to take me around the ashram I look wide-eyed at the dazzling variety of flowers and trees She informs me that the ashram has a wide variety of fruit trees: orange almond and olive—perfect ingredients for a delicious summer salad It also grows a variety of herbs like Greek tulsi I spot a structure that looks just like the Parthenon—the temple that sits atop the Acropolis majestically overlooking the city of Athens this one is not dedicated to the goddess Athena and has a large image of him alongside his writings “Greek architecture has been incorporated into our temples,” says Atmaja lies a mini version of the structure; this one housing a shivaling A lady is stretching her yoga mat on a grassy patch and I scurry across to have a word with her before she begins her asanas a Swedish yoga teacher; part of a group of Satyananda yoga teachers from Germany who have come to the ashram for a four-day residential course on ‘awareness’ “Fifteen teachers from Satyanandashram Sweden are here to do the course,” says Forander I spot an elderly lady earnestly packaging some leaves She has been a seva yogi for more than 30 years and is packaging oregano collected from our grounds.” Atmaja then tells me that her own name is Angelika Zanni The guard opens the metal gates once again it feels like I’ve stepped out from the other world Copyright © 2022 All rights reserved A 66-year-old motorcyclist lost his life in a traffic accident on Sunday night in Paiania The accident occurred when his motorcycle collided with a passing car at an intersection under unclear circumstances No additional details are available at this time The close trade and investment ties between Europe and Africa are of great importance to Greece as a Mediterranean country Secretary General for International Economic Relations and Extroversion (Foreign Affairs Ministry) Ioannis Smyrlis said at the Informal Council of the Trade Ministers of the European Union (Foreign Affairs Council – Trade) in Marseille on Monday who is also head of Greece’s export agency Enterprise Greece attended the meeting on Sunday and yesterday ahead of the EU-African Union Summit this Thursday and Friday At the council Smyrlis raised the protection of Greek protected designation of origin (PDO) products in Africa such as feta EU Commission Executive Vice President and Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis said the Commission would seek improved protection terms for the Greek product in South Africa at the Mediterranean expo Center (MEC) at Paiania The exhibition on maritime tourism and transport which incorporates the Boat & Fishing Show and the Sea Tourism Expo will also feature an event titled “Maritime and Onshore Tourism: Challenges and prospects” at 6 p.m Participants include Shipping Minister Ioannis Plakiotakis and Deputy Minister for Tourism Sofia Zacharaki For more information go to boatfishingshow.gr Lamda Development announced that it has signed a purchase and sale contract with Skriti Enterprises Company Limited owned by the family of shipping magnate George Procopiou for the sale of plots at Lamda’s Elliniko project for the purpose of developing residential and office spaces as well as an educational institution with an international program The total price of the transaction amounts to approximately 120 million euros while the total investment of the development is estimated to amount to €500 million The plots are located opposite the Glyfada Golf course and the total maximum allowed building area is 85,658 square meters The 100% Hotel Show is returning to its physical version this fall with the 2021 version set to take place on November 19-22 The exhibition addressed to hotel owners and tourism professionals in general will be held at the MEC exhibition hall in Paiania there will also be a virtual booth operating during the weeks before and after the event For more information, visit www.hotelshow.gr. International hotel management chain Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts is taking its second step in Greece at Petrothalassa in Ermioni in the eastern Peloponnese which concerns the management of the luxury residences being developed on the top two floors of the former Hilton hotel in the center of Athens Waldorf has agreed to take over the management of the new ultra-luxury hotel complex at Petrothalassa and specifically the 15 very large holiday homes that will be developed on its perimeter This is an investment that bears a budget of 202.9 million euros This article was published more than 12 years ago Acquiring ancient curiosities and avant-garde statues has been a labour of love for Greek-Canadian Ian Vorres.Eric Reguly/The Globe and Mail The debt crisis story has taken me to Athens many times since the Greek economy began to crumble like Thebes under the siege of Alexander the Great I found the sprawling mess of a city frightfully unlovely Barring the Acropolis and a couple of pleasant and vibrant old walking areas such as Plaka No wonder most tourists gave it a pass as they mobbed the ferries to the Aegean Islands Since then, I've changed my mind. Athens has more than a few hidden gems – you just have to dig around for them. I found a beauty on my last trip, when, on a blast-furnace-hot summer day, Robert Peck, Canada's ambassador to Greece, drove me 15 kilometres east to Paiania, the suburban town that is home to the Vorres Museum of Contemporary Greek Art Peck had raved forever about the museum and his praise was not exaggerated It is also a showpiece for Canada-Greece relations is a Greek-Canadian who has lived in both countries and refers to the museum as a "celebration of the ties" between them Peck uses it often for receptions and recently hustled former Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff through the place elegantly dressed but stooped from old age and failing health – he is 90 – Vorres worries about the future of the museum as the Greek government guts its budgets reducing or ending the support for all things cultural In Greece and elsewhere in Europe's debt-choked Mediterranean frontier museums are closing or curtailing their hours The Vorres Museum's meagre state subsidies ended two years ago and he has been sparing every possible expense since then to the point he can barely keep the museum open two days a week – Saturdays and Sundays "I will die from hunger and am surrounded by an art collection worth millions," he said and I am not sure whether he is joking about the hunger part It's an eclectic mix of the contemporary and the ancient of sleek open exhibition space and lush gardens In the first are paintings and sculptures created by some of the best-known contemporary Greek artists of the postwar era among them Yannis Tsarouchis and Yannis Moralis whose masks are among the museum's most valuable works The sleek modern galleries surround a large white courtyard filled with sculptures that glimmer in the sun lectures and receptions hosted by diplomats Liona Boyd performed in the courtyard in 1995 Vorres lives in a section of one of the houses The rest of the rooms are full of Greek curiosities ranging from ancient artifacts to traditional peasant carpets and furniture lavender and bougainvillea surround by a dry-stone wall whose niches and crannies are stuffed with antique marbles old millstones and other bits of Greek peasant life I spotted an enormous oil portrait of Vorres himself He is immensely proud of his museum and its collections though is worried sick that it will not survive after he goes "I don't have any money to pay the staff," he says "I have worked day and night to protect the museum." served with the American special forces behind German lines in the Second World War and fled to Canada at the war's end He attended Queen's University and the University of Toronto where he studied philosophy and psychology taught for a while then swapped his chalk board for a typewriter and became the art critic for the Hamilton Spectator and contributor to The Globe and Mail and Saturday Night the youngest child of Czar Nicholas II of Russia she survived the Russian Revolution and ended her days in relative obscurity in Canada he returned to Greece to take over the family's import-export business and whose gallery space and collection would expand over the decades including one in honour of then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau's official visit to Greece in 1983 "Ian Vorres is but one example of how Greek-Canadians have enriched their country of origin and Canada," said ambassador Peck He is considering selling some of the art to keep the doors open He has bequeathed the museum to the Greek state but fears the gutted cultural budgets will ensure the museum will close after his death "We have money for guns and tanks and warplanes Vorres Museum of Contemporary Greek Art: open weekends 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.. Tickets from $6 (€5). 1 Parodos Diadochou Constantinou St., Peania, Attica; vorresmuseum.gr The Cycladic Museum Find a high-quality collection of Cycladic art (BC 3200-2200) inside a neo-classical building that was once used as the Canadian Embassy. 4, Neophytou Douka St., Athens; www.cycladic.gr Cultural Centre Hellenic Cosmos offers a great introduction to Greek history with lots of interactive technology. 254 Pireos St., Tavros, Athens; hellenic-cosmos.gr The Ilias Lalaounis Jewellery Museum Over 4,000 pieces of jewellery and tiny sculptures designed by museum founder and designer Ilias Lalaounis. Kallisperi 12 & Karyatidon St., Acropolis, Athens; lalaounis-jewelrymuseum.gr/en The Jewish Museum of Greece is a hidden jewel jewel in the centre of Athens, just east of the Acropolis, depicting rich Jewish history which has all but disappeared. Nikis 39, Athens; jewishmuseum.gr Hellenic Children's Museum Interactive activities make this a good bet for young kids, Find it in the heart of Plaka housed in an old mansion. 14 Kydathineon St., Plaka, Athens; hcm.gr Ciné Paris Open air cinemas are one of the many pleasures in Greece. This one is a classic in the shadow of the Acropolis. Open from May to October. 22 Str. Kidathinaion, Plaka; cineparis.gr Hamman Enjoy a traditional Turkish-style ritual in Greece. Steam bath, exfoliating scrub and massage starts at €45 ($58). 17 Agion Asomaton St. & 1 Melidoni Str. Thissio; hammam.gr Report an editorial error Report a technical issue Editorial code of conduct Eric Reguly is the European bureau chief for The Globe and Mail and is based in Rome he has primarily covered economic and financial stories ranging from the euro zone crisis and the bank bailouts to the rise and fall of Russia's oligarchs and the merger of Fiat and Chrysler He also covered the Arab Spring in Tunisia the 2013 papal conclave and several national elections Eric wrote the paper's main business column from Toronto He also co-hosted a daily business programme on BNN he is a regular guest on Canadian and American radio programs contributes to CTV News and makes speeches about business issues He also writes a regular column in The Globe's Report on Business magazine and is a contributor to Newsweek the Hyman Solomon Award for Excellence in Public Policy Journalism He was co-winner in 2010 of a National Newspaper Award and has twice been an NNA runner-up in the columnist category he won gold in the National Magazine Awards and took silver in 2013 a remembrance of the 9/11 terrorist attacks an essay and photo book on the Alberta oil sands He has an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English and French Literature and a Masters in Journalism both from the University of Western Ontario Previous employers include The Times of London the Financial Post in its New York and London bureaus the Financial Times of Canada and Alberta Report magazine Washington and Rome and has Canadian and Italian citizenship Welcome to The Globe and Mail’s comment community. 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For more information on our commenting policies and how our community-based moderation works, please read our Community Guidelines and our Terms and Conditions Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was in Paiania this morning on the occasion of the celebration of the city’s patron saint Mitsotakis attended the Divine Liturgy at the Church of Saint Athanasios in Paiania and then participated in the procession of the icon of Saint Athanasios the Prime Minister will visit the Olympic facilities in the area that have recently reopened under the supervision of OAKA and where track and fencing athletes now train Mitsotakis Plans More Frequent Public Appearances Kyriakos Mitsotakis is planning to step out of the Maximos Mansion more frequently as he remains committed to a strategy aimed at restoring New Democracy’s connection with the public following the major fallout from the Tempi train disaster the Prime Minister’s office is registering encouraging signs for the ruling party in public opinion polls while placing emphasis on a series of initiatives set to unfold in May as part of a “positive agenda.” There is also the possibility that next week Mr Mitsotakis will make another trip outside of Attica depending on the availability in his schedule the government is placing significant importance on initiatives like the upcoming evaluation of public services by citizens via a digital platform on gov.gr This initiative will be presented next Tuesday by Interior Minister Theodoros Livanios and Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou Follow en.protothema.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news See all the latest News from Greece and the World, the moment they happen, at en.protothema.gr Makis Gagatsis recently met with Georgios Vardinogiannis The new president of EPO is considering various solutions for creating a dedicated training facility for the national teams and discussed with the former president of PAE Panathinaikos the possibility of purchasing the Paiania center Makis Gagatsis met with the former president of Panathinaikos and owner of the Paiania sports center to discuss the potential acquisition of the facilities by the Federation Gagatsis announced during the official presentation of Mr finding a training center for the national teams is one of his top priorities and certainly meets the requirements to serve as a permanent ‘home’ for the national teams and all recommendations will be reviewed for the establishment of the representative complexes at the Paiania Sports Center Vardinoyannis has offered the facilities for the current preparation needs of the national teams regardless of the outcome of the negotiations the Men’s National Team will hold all its training sessions for the UEFA Nations League matches (from September to November) at the Atromitos sports center.” The funeral of famous Greek singer-songwriter Antonis Vardis will take place at 11 a.m Thursday at the Nativity of Christ Church followed by his burial at Paiania Cemetary who lost his battle with cancer on Tuesday had expressed the wish that people give money to charity instead of buying funeral wreaths A relevant message was issued on his official Facebook page: Erroneous press reports of a service at 11 a.m on Wednesday resulted in many friends and fans of Vardis heading to Paiania including famous local singers George Margaritis and famous veteran singer Katie Gray