Google wants to buy a large industrial site in Timrå to build a data center. Now, two professors are warning that Sweden risks giving away both electricity and future value to a foreign tech company.
Google wants to buy Torsboda Industrial Park, a 214-hectare municipally-owned industrial area in Timrå. The city councils of Timrå and Sundsvall are expected to make a decision on the deal in August. If the purchase goes through, the area will be used for a large data center.
Professors of Computer Science Jonny Holmström (Umeå University) and Johan Magnusson (University of Gothenburg) writes in an op-ed in Daily News (DN) that the issue involves much more than just new investments. ”Sweden is on its way to becoming a digital colony, and Torsboda is the latest proof of that,” they write.
The value ends up abroad
According to the professors, Sweden is selling land, electricity, and cooling capacity, while the most profitable parts of the business—cloud services, AI, data, and customer relations—remain with Google in the United States. They argue that the economic value therefore risks leaving the country.
The municipalities expect at least 500 new jobs and investments in infrastructure. The professors, however, believe that the number of jobs does not reflect how much of the value actually remains in Sweden.
Wants to see stricter requirements
The professors propose that the government review very large electricity consumption projects before approving them. They also want to see binding requirements for research, skills development, and other activities that create greater value in Sweden.
”Sweden should welcome foreign investment, but a country that sells its strategic assets without negotiating for added value does not build prosperity—it dismantles it,” they write.
It uses a lot of electricity…
The U.S. has always been an imperialist country that has exploited other countries to the fullest, and now it’s Sweden’s turn to suffer. Stop American tech companies from setting up operations in our country—it will only lead to power shortages and higher electricity prices for the people.