Where once there were industrial giants, a data center revolution is taking place.

Pregnana Milanese (Milan) – Four abandoned and derelict industrial areas , some for many years, such as the former Olivetti plant , which closed permanently in 2010. The construction of three data centers by three operators and the opening of an Italian-Chinese company that produces and distributes photovoltaic panels. Development, jobs, and opportunity. This is where the reindustrialization of Pregnana Milanese begins, from four areas that once housed Italy's industrial excellence and where thousands of people once worked, finally preparing for a 'second life.' Mayor Angelo Bosani discusses what's happening in the city, starting with the former Citroën site on Viale dell'Industria, a 70,000-square-meter area.

"The demolition of the old warehouses has begun here to make way for the first of the data centers that will be built," Bosani explains. "The Implementation Plan has already been submitted, and the start of construction is subject to an environmental assessment process involving the relevant authorities, which will be completed in 2026. The operator, an Asian company that develops facilities of this type worldwide and already has similar projects underway in Italy, plans to complete the facilities in 2027 and power up the first servers at the end of 2028." At that point , 60-80 jobs will be created . The Municipality will collect urbanization fees amounting to approximately €6,000,000 and environmental compensation measures, which will primarily affect the city's green spaces.

The second data center will be built in the former Olivetti (formerly Bull) area, the largest of the four that will be remodeled, covering 185,000 square meters. The resulting building volume will be the same as the other two data centers. This renews the historic connection between Pregnana Milanese and IT innovation : since the days of Olivetti in the 1960s, cutting-edge IT solutions and programs have been developed in the Research and Development Center in this area behind the station.

"They've started cleaning up the area here," Mayor Bosani explains, "then the actual demolition will proceed. The completion timeline is longer, and half the area will be transferred to the municipality. We're evaluating which projects and services to implement. Three options are under consideration: a student residence, which we've already discussed with the State University; social housing for the elderly; or sports facilities. In addition, a section of public green space will be created as environmental compensation." This will create between 60 and 100 jobs , and the expected costs will be around €6 million.

The third data center will be built in the former Iveco area . The operators have already submitted the Implementation Plan, and the process should be completed by mid-2026. Around a hundred new jobs will be created here. The fourth area targeted by industrial regeneration projects is located on Viale Dell'Industria (next to the Regazzetti headquarters). It is a factory that has been empty for years . “The development plan is being carried out by OK Group, a multinational company that is a partner of Huawei and belongs to a holding company based in Hong Kong. The company produces and distributes photovoltaic panels and related electronic components to create sustainable electricity generation systems,” the mayor concludes. “The urban planning scheme and building permit have already been approved, and after the demolition of the small existing warehouses on the area, construction of the new large warehouses has begun.” The company will open by 2027 and will employ around 30 people . The Municipality of Pregnana has already collected part of the expected urbanization costs, which exceed one million euros.