Euronext, the leading pan-European market infrastructure, today announced the successful completion of the migration of its Core Data Centre and related colocation services from Basildon, UK, to the Aruba Global Cloud Data Centre IT3 in Bergamo, Italy. This key milestone has been completed on schedule in just 14 months, following the announcement of this strategic decision in April 2021 in the context of the Borsa Italiana Group acquisition.
Strategic rationale and value creation
Relocating Euronext’s Core Data Centre from the UK to Italy, into a best-in-class and green data centre facility, was a strategic decision made in response to multiple factors, including the dynamic created by Brexit, and a strong rationale for relocating Euronext’s core European trading activities in the European Union. This move allows Euronext to fully control and directly manage its core IT infrastructure, as well as a key service to clients, colocation, which was previously outsourced. It also allows the generation of colocation revenues, embedded in the upgraded synergies.
The Aruba Global Cloud Data Centre meets the highest quality standards (rating 4 certification), provides the maximum level of safety and resilience, and is 100% powered by renewable energy, enabling Euronext to minimise its environmental impact.
Euronext now operates a state-of-the-art colocation facility available to both members and non-members, opening up new opportunities for development of services, and contributing as of today to a part of the planned delivery of the €100 million run-rate annual EBITDA synergies related to the Borsa Italiana Group acquisition targeted for 2024.
The Core Data Centre migration has been timed in order to pave the way for the migration of the Borsa Italiana equity and derivatives markets onto the Euronext Optiq® trading platform as soon as 2023.
Powered by nature and clean energy
The migration to the new green Core Data Centre represents a key milestone in Euronext’s “Fit for 1.5°” commitment, part of its ESG strategy. Located in the Aruba Global Cloud Data Centre IT3’s certified and energy-efficient buildings, the new Core Data Centre is entirely powered by renewable energy, much of it self-produced through a large photovoltaic system and a hydroelectric unit. It also benefits from reduced power consumption thanks to very efficient cooling systems using geothermal and dynamic free cooling, and the use of cloud computing to reduce the number of servers. The new Core Data Centre allows Euronext to reduce its own carbon footprint, while also enabling its colocation clients to lower their environmental impact.
Stéphane Boujnah, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext, said: “The migration of Euronext’s Core Data Centre to Italy, 14 months after the closing of the Borsa Italiana Group acquisition, marks a milestone in bringing back to the European Union the Core Data Centre that handles 25% of European trading volumes. It is the first major achievement within Euronext’s Growth for Impact 2024 strategic plan, paving the way for the migration of the Italian cash equities and derivatives markets to the Euronext Optiq® trading technology as soon as 2023. This migration triggered the first business synergies related to the Borsa Italiana Group integration. I would like to thank all our teams, our clients, and our service providers for this successful project, which will benefit the whole of the financial ecosystem while helping our clients reduce their own carbon footprints.”
