Data Centers in Besançon

Besançon – Stable Digital Infrastructure for Mainland Europe

Besançon provides a compelling secondary market for businesses needing a reliable data center presence in Western Europe, outside of primary hubs like Paris. Its strategic location offers low-latency connectivity to eastern France, Switzerland, and southern Germany. The market is defined by its exceptionally low natural disaster risk and stable, nuclear-heavy power grid, making it ideal for disaster recovery and backup workloads that require maximum uptime.

Besançon: At A Glance

Network & Connectivity Ecosystem

Carrier Density & Carrier Neutrality The market contains 2 data centers with service from at least 1 unique network provider, as of September 2025. While not as dense as Paris, Besançon offers sufficient carrier diversity for regional enterprise and disaster recovery applications. Carrier-neutral facilities provide options for building resilient network architectures.

Direct Cloud On-Ramps There are no direct cloud on-ramps within Besançon, as of September 2025. Businesses connect to hyperscale cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud (GCP), and Microsoft Azure through dedicated private network connections to major hubs in Paris or Lyon. This model ensures secure, low-latency access for hybrid cloud deployments.

Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) Public peering is limited within the immediate market. Most interconnection is handled privately between carriers or routed through major national exchanges in Paris, ensuring efficient traffic flow across France and to international destinations.

Bare Metal Bare metal server capacity is available in the region. Providers like OVHcloud offer dedicated server solutions suitable for workloads that require direct hardware access and consistent performance.

Power Analysis

Average Cost Of Power Industrial electricity rates typically range from €0.18 to €0.22/kWh, as of September 2025. This pricing is competitive for Western Europe and is supported by a stable national grid. Predictable power costs help in forecasting operational expenditures for compute-heavy infrastructure.

Power Grid Reliability France's power grid is among the most reliable in Europe, with approximately 68% of its electricity generated from nuclear power. This provides a consistent and high-uptime power source, a critical factor for data centers supporting essential applications. Facilities in the region are well-engineered with redundant substation support.

Market Access, Business & Tax Climate

Proximity To Key Business Districts Data centers in Besançon serve the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, known for its microtechnology, biomedical, and precision engineering industries. Proximity enables low-latency services for local research, development, and manufacturing operations.

Regional Market Reach Besançon is strategically positioned to serve as a digital gateway to eastern France, western Switzerland (including Geneva), and southern Germany. Its location is effective for organizations targeting this tri-country economic region.

Tax Advantage For Data Centers France provides specific financial incentives for large-scale digital infrastructure projects. The availability of European Investment Bank (EIB) loan financing for data center construction demonstrates a supportive environment for capital investment.

Natural Disaster Risk

Besançon has a low overall natural disaster risk profile, with an INFORM score of 2.7 out of 10, as of September 2025. This stability is a significant advantage for mission-critical infrastructure and data backup sites.

Key risks to consider include:

• River Flood: The highest individual risk factor for the region, requiring site-specific flood mitigation.
• Earthquake: A low but present seismic risk.
• Drought: A minor consideration with potential long-term impacts on water resources.