This year marks the 50th anniversary of Ireland becoming a full member of the European Economic Community, the precursor to today’s European Union.

In that time, we have seen Ireland develop from an agricultural-based economy with high unemployment and high emigration to a tech-led economy with low unemployment and a net importer of people.

The impact of ICT, data-led industries, pharmaceuticals, finance, and life sciences has positioned Ireland prominently on the world stage and established its digital infrastructure ecosystem prominently on the global stage.

Achieving a sustainable future requires the interconnection of decarbonization and digitalization. Smart technologies in transport, buildings, agriculture, and grids work together to optimize energy usage and facilitate the transition to a sustainable society. According to a report from the European Commission, smart ICT solutions can save up to ten times more greenhouse gases than those emitted by the entire ICT chain. Data centers play a crucial role in enabling each of these smart solutions.

The next pillar in the transition towards sustainability involves industries like digital infrastructure becoming prosumers of electricity. This means that companies, including data centers, interact with the grid, contributing to and benefiting from it. For instance, Microsoft's data center in Dublin uses lithium-ion battery banks to stabilize the grid during high demand for renewable energy while serving as backup power. Waste heat from data centers, such as Amazon, can contribute to the grid as district heating systems develop. The emergence of energy parks integrating wind, solar, green hydrogen, battery, and data centers further supports the grid and benefits the Irish economy.

The 2022 Host in Ireland Ecosystem Report highlighted the attributes that make Ireland a successful home for digital infrastructure, emphasizing Ingenuity, Relentlessness, Integrity, Strength, and History – in other words, IRISH – as the common thread among companies who work from and within Ireland. But there was a broader story to tell – why companies doing business in and trading from Ireland have been able to influence the global data center market?

The 2023 Ecosystem Report, Digital Infrastructure: An Irish Export Success delves into the Irish ecosystem in action. It explores the reasons behind the global demand for the Irish ecosystem and its portable characteristics. Additionally, the report investigates why talent from or associated with Ireland is highly sought after, making it one of the industry's most exportable and successful elements.

If you are interested in learning more, we invite you to download a copy of the report. We hope it gives you more insight into how and why the digital infrastructure ecosystem coming from Ireland is so unique and in such demand in the global marketplace.