AEW Europe, one of the world’s largest real estate investment and asset managers[1], announces the acquisition of a fully let data centre asset in the heart of the Nuremberg metropolitan area, Germany. The acquisition marks AEW Europe’s first investment into the rapidly growing German data centre asset class.
Through this investment, AEW Europe is capitalising on rising demand for data storage driven by trends such as automation, digitalisation, and AI. The global market for leased data centres is expected to grow at an annual rate of 14% through 2030[2]. As the largest data centre market in the EU in terms of capacity, Germany’s market valuation is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.9% by 2030, presenting an attractive investment opportunity [3].
The asset, acquired from AVENTOS, is a powered-shell data centre covering 2,592 sqm. Its external structure provides access to power and fibre optic connectivity with a power capacity of 6.4 MVA, while the interior is tailored to meet the occupier’s technical and operational requirements. The data centre is fully let to an established global technology group under a long-term double-net lease agreement, and the layout allows for potential future capacity increases and the possibility of multi-tenant co-location in the event of lease expiry.
Strategically located in Nuremberg, one of Germany’s key industrial hubs, the asset benefits from proximity to reliable fibre infrastructure connecting to both national and international networks. The Nuremberg Metropolitan Region, home to approximately 3.5 million people, enhances the asset’s strategic profile within a major European hub.
Antoine Barbier, Head of AEW Patrimoine, commented: “The acquisition of a fully let, well-connected data centre marks a strategic entry for AEW Patrimoine into the German digital infrastructure market. With established data centre hubs such as Frankfurt experiencing increasing power constraints and limited land availability, Nuremberg is emerging as a compelling alternative, offering excellent connectivity and benefitting from a robust local economy.”
Matthieu Samaran, Investment Director Germany at AEW Europe, adds: “This marks AEW Europe’s first investment into this highly sought-after and growing asset class in the Bavarian region. The rising demand for data storage, coupled with a shortage of digital infrastructure supply, presents a timely opportunity to enter this dynamic sector. This core investment provides a strong covenant, long income visibility, and exposure to one of the most dynamic segments in real estate.”
Photo credit: ©CBRE.
[1] Source: 2025 IRE.IQ Real Estate Managers Guide”. The Guide, published annually by Institutional Real Estate, Inc., ranks real estate managers based on the gross value of real estate AUM ($m) as of December 31, 2024.
[2]Source: 2026 Global Data Center Outlook, JLL.
[3]Source: https://prime-east.com/investments-analysis-and-forecasts/
About AEW
AEW is one of the world's largest real estate asset managers, with €73.4bn of assets under management as at 30 September 2025[1]. AEW has over 830 employees, with its main offices located in Boston, London, Paris and Singapore and offers a wide range of real estate investment products including comingled funds, separate accounts and securities mandates across the full spectrum of investment strategies. AEW represents the real estate asset management platform of Natixis Investment Managers, one of the largest asset managers in the world.
As at 30 September 2025, AEW managed €35.6bn of real estate assets in Europe on behalf of a number of funds and separate accounts. AEW has over 515 employees based in 11 offices across Europe and has a long track record of successfully implementing Core, Value-Add and Opportunistic investment strategies on behalf of its clients. In the last five years, AEW has invested and divested a total volume of almost €14bn of real estate across European markets.