New joint venture targets major European hubs as demand surges for AI-ready digital infrastructure
CPP Investments has entered a major European data centre partnership with Australia’s Goodman Group, committing to a A$14 development platform aimed at meeting accelerating demand for cloud computing and artificial intelligence.
The 50/50 joint venture, known as the Goodman European Data Centre Development Partnership, will focus on prime locations in Germany, the Netherlands and France. The strategy centres on building large-scale, high-quality facilities in some of Europe’s most sought-after digital infrastructure markets.
Initial equity commitments total A$3.9 billion (€2.2 billion), earmarked for four projects in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris. Once completed, the developments are expected to deliver 435 megawatts of primary power capacity and 282 megawatts of IT load. All sites already have power secured, planning approvals in place and supporting infrastructure advanced, allowing construction to begin by mid-2026.
For CPP Investments, the deal marks its first dedicated data centre partnership in Europe and a further expansion of its global digital infrastructure strategy. The fund sees long-term opportunity in assets that support the backbone of the digital economy, particularly as AI adoption drives sustained demand for computing capacity.
Senior Managing Director and Global Head of Real Assets Max Biagosch said the venture builds on a longstanding relationship with Goodman and provides direct exposure to top-tier European markets.
“We are pleased to expand our longstanding partnership with Goodman Group and establish a strong European foothold in the data centre sector across key Tier 1 markets, aligned with our global data centre strategy,” he said. “By combining Goodman’s extensive development capabilities and powered landbank, with our global expertise in digital infrastructure investments, this partnership allows us to capitalise on a compelling growth opportunity for the long-term benefit of CPP contributors and beneficiaries.”
Goodman Group CEO Greg Goodman highlighted the scarcity and strategic value of the assets involved.
“A portfolio of this size and quality – located in Europe’s FLAP markets – is rare,” he said. “These powered locations are highly sought after to meet the rapidly growing requirement for cloud computing and AI adoption, particularly when they offer speed to market and delivery certainty. The quality and scale of this Partnership make it ideal for our long-term relationship with CPP Investments. We’re pleased to be investing alongside them for their entry into the European data centre market.”
The transaction is expected to complete in stages through March 2026, subject to standard closing conditions. The partnership adds to CPP Investments’ expanding exposure to global digital infrastructure as demand for data-intensive technologies continues to accelerate.
