Community Data Centers

Background

Data centers are the physical infrastructure powering most digital applications we use today. As oligopolistic tendencies in the data center market intensify, more and more individuals, NGOs, startups, schools, municipalities and governments become dependent on the capacity of data centers operated by a handful of large, shareholder owned companies, including Big Tech corporations. 

This research project explores alternative, community driven organizational models for data centers and their associated governance and operations. We are particularly interested in analysing the impact of different models on (1) increasing mechanisms for democratic accountability , (2) their approach to dealing with the environmental and social issues that data centers inevitably bring, and (3) their feasibility and ability to scale or mushroom to meet civil society needs. 

We employ participatory research methods throughout all parts of this project to ensure that diverse stakeholder desires, needs and opinions are reflected in our results, with a particular focus to civil society representatives and municipal actors.

This research is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) under grant no. 16DII131 and grant no. 01PA2606.

Co-imagining Community Data Centers

The project focusses on the joint development of concepts and requirements for Community Data Centres (CDCe). We have already brought together more than 130 people from academia, civil society, public administration, technology, politics and other fields of practice across four countries. In participatory workshops, participants jointly develop ideas, discuss requirements and draft possible designs for future CDCe. 

The workshops highlight different perspectives, identify key design dimensions and gain a better understanding of how CDCe could and should be structured across different social contexts.

Overview of past Events

• Chaos Communication Congress (Hamburg, Dezember 2025)
• Digitaltag Brandenburg (11.12.25, Königs Wusterhausen)
• University of Geneva, organized with the Young Al leaders hub of Geneva (24.11.25, Geneva, Switzerland)
• FIfF-Konferenz 2025 (23.11.25, Vienna)
• Cooperative AI Conference (12.11.25, Istanbul)
• Weizenbaum Institute (10.10.25, Berlin)
• Weizenbaum Institute (6.10.25, Berlin)
• Barcamp - AI for a better world (18.9.23, Eberswalde)
• Funding the Commons (10.6.25, Berlin)

Exploring Community Data Centers in the wild

We investigate existing collectively organised data centres and similar initiatives. For this, we develop case studies in order to systematically analyse organisational forms, governance structures, technical infrastructures, as well as legal, economic and institutional frameworks. The aim is to develop an in-depth understanding of the conditions under which CDCs can be established, operated and sustained in the long term.

Co-developing feasible Community Data Centers

The visions for the future identified with workshop participants and the findings from the case studies will be brought together to develop concrete models for CDCe. In collaboration with partners from industry, subject matter experts and other relevant stakeholders, various organisational, governance and operational models will be assessed in terms of their transferability and feasibility. A key component of this phase is the development and testing of a prototype, as well as the preparation of a feasibility study. To this end, selected concepts for CDCe will be systematically examined in terms of their technical, legal, economic, environmental and institutional feasibility. On this basis, practical recommendations for action and conceptual building blocks will be developed to support stakeholders in the planning and implementation of CDCe.

Data Centre Observatory (DCO)

The Data Centre Observatory (DCO) initiative is part of the Community Data Centres project. The DCO examines data centres as critical digital infrastructure and promotes research into their social, environmental and political impacts, as well as into appropriate governance approaches.

Further information about the project: „The Data Center Observatory“

Team

Core

• Dr. André Ullrich, Weizenbaum Institute

• Dr. Tara Merk, Weizenbaum Institute

• Oliver Meurer, Weizenbaum Institute

Contributor

• Léo Girard, Department of Social sciences, University of Geneva

• Dr. Morshed Mannan, Edinburgh Law School, University of Edinburgh

• Julian Pütz

• Rainer Rehak, Weizenbaum Institute

• Raymundo Vásquez Ruiz, Computer Engineer (selbständig)

Sounding Board 

• tbd

Contact

You can reach us via: communitydatacenters[at]lists.weizenbaum-institut.de