Major Google Investment Strengthens Uruguay’s Global Tech Role

On Thursday, Google declared an $850 million investment to establish a new data center in Uruguay. This facility, strategically placed in Parque de las Ciencias about 30 km from Montevideo, will enhance support for key Google services.

These include Google Search, YouTube, Maps, and workspace applications like Gmail, Docs, and Sheets. Eduardo López, President of Google Cloud Latin America, highlighted the project’s strategic importance.

He emphasized that the investment reflects Google’s commitment to expanding its tech footprint in Latin America. It also recognizes Uruguay as a key innovation hub in the region.

The center in Canelones will be Google‘s second in South America, adding to its first in Quilicura, Chile, launched in 2015.

The expansion to Uruguay began with discussions in 2019 under President Tabaré Vázquez and continued under President Luis Lacalle Pou.

The project gained momentum with the acquisition of a 30-hectare site in 2021. In 2023, Google secured the necessary environmental licenses to start construction.

In response to resource use concerns, Google opted for air-cooling technology at this center, adopting best practices for efficient operation.

Once operational, the new data center will join Google’s vast global network, which includes 28 data centers and 40 cloud regions.

This expansion enhances Google’s presence in Latin America, which already includes cloud regions in São Paulo since 2017 and Santiago since 2021. Another cloud region is upcoming in Querétaro, Mexico.

By choosing Uruguay for its latest data center, Google taps into the country’s strategic geographical and technological strengths.

This decision highlights Uruguay’s growing influence and capability within the global tech industry. It will boost Google’s tech infrastructure and support services crucial for its operations and user experience in the region.

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