One of Europe’s largest AI data centres to be built in Croatia

(Illustration)

A major artificial intelligence and data centre project planned in Topusko is set to become the largest investment in Croatia’s history and one of the most significant in Europe.

As daily Večernji list exclusively reports, the project, known as Pantheon, an AI development and data centre campus, is valued at more than €50 billion.

With a planned capacity of 1 gigawatt, it would place Croatia among Europe’s leading digital infrastructure hubs. Construction is expected to begin in 2027, with operations targeted for early 2029.

The facility is designed to exceed the highest current European reliability standards, ensuring near-continuous operation.

It will support a wide range of digital services and systems, reflecting growing global demand driven by artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

Beyond the data centre itself, the project includes extensive investment in national infrastructure.

Plans feature a new high-capacity substation, around 280 kilometres of transmission lines, and a dedicated 500-megawatt solar power plant.

These upgrades are expected to strengthen Croatia’s energy network and enable additional renewable energy projects to connect to the grid.

The infrastructure developed as part of the project will remain in Croatia, contributing long-term value to the national energy and transport systems. Additional investments in local roads, education and healthcare facilities are also planned.

The project is expected to generate around 3,000 jobs during construction and approximately 1,500 permanent positions once operational, with a significant share in high-skilled roles. Thousands of indirect jobs are also anticipated.

Topusko, located in a region affected by depopulation and economic challenges in central Croatia in Sisak-Moslavina County, was selected partly for its development potential.

Topusko (Photo: Sandor Bordas/CC BY-SA 3.0)

The investment is seen as an opportunity to support regional revitalisation while strengthening Croatia’s position in the global digital economy.

As demand for data capacity continues to rise, projects of this scale are increasingly shaped by access to reliable energy and stable regulatory environments, factors that played a key role in Croatia’s selection.