• 51% of respondents quizzed by CyrusOne felt positive about data centers
• Two in three see job opportunities and potential for local economic growth
• However, only half were able to correctly identity a data center’s primary functions

New research from CyrusOne suggests there’s strong support from the public for data centers across Europe as businesses and consumers demand more compute and cloud services.

More than half (51%) of the 13,000 individuals questioned felt positive about data centers, with a further 42% expressing neutrality, leaving only a small percentage of negative perception remaining.

However, even those with positive attitudes towards data centers expressed concerns about the environmental impact of energy- and resource-hungry data centers.

The public are on board with data centers

Despite the positive outlook, a clear understanding of a data center’s purpose was not so common. Only 52% were able to correctly identify a data center’s primary function, and fewer than half (45%) associated data centers with online tools like video conferencing, social media and digital messaging.

Moreover, only 38% of British respondents understood their primary purpose, which is below the average and significantly below German residents (66%).

The lack of understanding didn’t detract from the hope for economic benefits – more than three in five acknowledged that data centers create job opportunities (66%) and accelerate local economic growth (62%). Those living closer to data centers were more likely to feel this way.

“It’s clear from the research that public opinion of data centers is more positive than expected and that perhaps the sector is not always presented in a way that accurately portrays how people really perceive the sector,” noted Emma Fryer, Director of Public Policy for Europe at CyrusOne.

Speaking about increased local support, Fryer added: “It is therefore really important that we, as developers and operators, listen carefully to people in our host communities, while continuing to educate, identify their needs and act accordingly to deliver meaningful local benefits.”

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