Trentino Data Mine, a project for the creation and development of a strategic innovation hub in the Alpine area of Val di Non in Northern Italy, has seen a key step forward with the establishment at the end of September of the company that will manage the activities related to the construction of a green data center in the underground tunnels of the San Romedio mine. The data center is to be run by a public-private partnership led by the University of Trento, which also has the scientific responsibility and guidance, along with private companies such as Dedagroup, a key Italian ICT player.

The 50 million Euro project is part of Mission 4 of the NRRP "Education and research - From research to business" and will last 36 months, with a return on investment expected within 15 years of the start of the project (2023-2037).

A view of the San Romedio Mine in Northern Italy (photo taken from www.tassullo.it)

Spanning over 80,000 square meters, the San Romedio mine already houses underground spaces created by the extraction of dolomite rock that are used for the storage of apples, the fermentation of sparkling wine and other applications where cold and a constant temperature are key factors. The data center will provide safe and optimal conditions for ICT-related services that will fully exploit the potential of artificial intelligence, high-performance computing, edge computing and cybersecurity, including quantum encryption. The site, naturally protected by hundreds of meters of rock, also provides an electromagnetic shield, protection from natural disasters, saves soil, is sustainable and uses renewable energy.

Trentino Data Mine is going to be an ecosystem, with the data center acting as a point of reference for public and private organizations for data management and storage and to support the various phases of the innovation cycle through an open source approach: the analysis of emerging technologies and the definition of a technological development roadmap; the verification and validation of new commercial applications or the development of prototypes in a protected environment; the technological validation of products, processes and services.

Trentino Data Mine will also make it possible to strengthen the existing collaboration network among research institutions, companies, technological infrastructures and local facilities, in particular in the field of health, digital security, data and financial management.