Rostock sets an example against cyber attacks: groundbreaking for data center!

Rostock sets an example against cyber attacks: groundbreaking for data center!

A big turnaround for data security in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: The groundbreaking ceremony for the new municipal data center in Rostock took place on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. With an investment volume of around six million euros, this will be the city's first data center and is intended to protect it from the growing threats posed by cyber attacks. The cyber attack on Rostocker Straßenbahn AG at the end of 2023 in particular highlighted the urgency of this project, as Mayor Eva-Maria Kröger emphasized at the opening ceremony. She highlighted how important data security is for the city administration and what the new center means to the community.

The idea for the data center came about five years ago when the city decided to store sensitive data itself and protect it from unauthorized access. Over the last two years, the project has been intensively planned in collaboration with a company from Cottbus. The municipal utilities will take over the power supply for the new center, which is being built in the Toitenwinkel district. Secured connection capacities of 800 kilowatts are planned, with around half of the capacity being available to the city itself and the other half to municipal companies.

Secure and efficient infrastructure

Another aspect of development is advice on secure, efficient and economical data centers. Comprehensive analyzes of the current infrastructure are carried out, which serve as a basis for planning decisions. These also support applications for funding, which is an important financial source for many cities.

The new data center will be of critical importance, particularly with regard to the NIS2 directive, which places new requirements on cyber and information security in the EU. The directive classifies data centers as “essential facilities” and imposes strict requirements. This includes, among other things, effective risk management, incident response, and security measures, which must be regularly evaluated. Datacenters.org points out that the NIS2 Directive must be implemented into national law by October 17, 2024, which represents further urgency for the city of Rostock to be well prepared for the future.

A look into the future

The new data center is expected to be completed within a year and there is already interest from various private companies, including Rostock Business and Südstadtklinikum. By creating a secure and efficient data storage location, Rostock shows a good knack for meeting the challenges of digitalization and cybersecurity. The effective handling of sensitive data is becoming increasingly important these days, and the city is on the right track to dealing with these challenges well and remaining able to act in the future.

The implementation of the data center is not only a step towards improving one's own infrastructure, but also an invitation to other companies to consider the Rostock location to be attractive and safe. With a mix of state-of-the-art technology and a clear focus on data security, Rostock will take on a pioneering role in the region. Datacenter Group also reports on support in planning and taking into account all relevant detailed questions that go along with the operation of a data center.