Google has announced a new, two-year €5 billion investment in Belgium for 2026 and 2027.
The investment will expand the company’s data center campus in St. Ghislain and add 300 full-time jobs.
Google also announced new carbon-free energy agreements and support for local AI skilling programs.
“This investment will extend the company’s AI capabilities to meet growing demand for Google Cloud while powering the company’s other popular services — such as Search, Maps, and Workspace — that organizations and people in Belgium, as well as billions around the world, use every day,” said Google.
“Infrastructure investments like these unlock economic opportunities for businesses, drive scientific breakthroughs, and generate new career opportunities across the country.
“Once complete, the expanded St. Ghislain facility will strengthen Google Cloud’s Belgium region, which is part of the company’s global network of 42 regions that delivers the high-performance and low-latency services that businesses and organizations — including Odoo, UZ Leuven, and AZ Delta — use to build and scale their own AI-powered solutions.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: “Google’s new investment is a powerful sign of trust in Belgium as a hub for digital innovation and sustainable growth. By expanding advanced cloud and AI infrastructure in St. Ghislain, creating skilled jobs, and securing new carbon‑free energy, Belgium not only strengthens its economy and energy transition. This project is also of strategic importance, consolidating our role as a leader in Europe’s digital future.”
Pierre-Yves Jeholet, in his capacity as Vice-President of the Government of Wallonia, said: “The €5 billion investment announced by Google in Saint-Ghislain confirms Wallonia’s central role as a European hub for data processing and storage. It creates jobs in the digital sector, stimulates innovation and economic activity around the site, improves local infrastructure, and strengthens the development of artificial intelligence skills.
“This investment also contributes to strengthening our region’s digital sovereignty and is therefore fully in line with the priorities of our next digital strategy. It illustrates our ability to reconcile economic attractiveness and technological innovation for the benefit of the entire Walloon region.”