France’s data centre market is at a turning point.
Power limits, tougher rules and slower planning in Paris and the wider Île de France region are holding projects back. This is increasing risk earlier in the process and shaking confidence. As a result, more developers are now looking to the south.
A report from Currie & Brown looks at how uncertainty is changing the French data centre market. It explains why Marseille is now emerging as a choice for mission-critical investment.
Uncertainty is already destroying value. Based on insight from more than 1,000 senior decision-makers globally, high-tech organisations lost an average of 13.9% of potential project pipeline value last year as delays, de-scoping and cancellations became routine. In France, those pressures are now impossible to ignore.
As constraints tighten in the traditional northern hubs, attention is shifting south. Marseille offers a market where risk can be identified, tested and managed earlier. That helps teams make better decisions and bring certainty back at the start of a project.
Why Marseille is gaining momentum
Marseille does not remove risk entirely. But it avoids many of the structural constraints now affecting traditional hubs and offers greater predictability where it matters most:
- Global connectivity at scale: 16 submarine cable systems link Marseille to Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, with latency to Paris and Frankfurt now highly competitive.
- Less constrained grid access: Compared with Île-de-France, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region faces fewer capacity bottlenecks, with faster engagement from grid operators and energy providers.
- Faster, more predictable planning: Planning approvals usually take between 12 and 18 months. That is up to 40% quicker than similar projects in Île de France. Pre zoned areas like Euroméditerranée help speed the process up.
- More efficient, lower-carbon design: Coastal cooling solutions, including seawater systems, enable PUEs as low as 1.26, outperforming older, denser urban hubs. The region also benefits from a rapidly expanding renewable energy mix.
- Lower costs and a resilient skills base: Construction labour costs are up to 15% lower than in Paris, supported by a strong industrial workforce and a steady pipeline of engineers and technicians.
“Marseille is not a replacement for Paris, but it is becoming a strategic option as uncertainty intensifies in traditional hubs,” said Shane O’Driscoll, European Data Centre Lead at Currie & Brown.
“Our research shows that uncertainty destroys value early. Locations that allow earlier alignment on power, planning and permitting are gaining ground. For developers willing to rethink location strategy and test risk sooner, Marseille offers a clearer route to certainty in an increasingly constrained French market.”