Principal Asset Management has expanded its European digital infrastructure footprint with the acquisition of Connecta Park, a 36,429 m² data centre complex in Düsseldorf, Germany. The strategically located asset becomes the sixth acquisition for the now fully invested Principal European Data Centre Fund I.
Situated in the Rhine-Ruhr tech corridor, Connecta Park is leased to a high-calibre mix of tenants including Digital Realty, Colt, Pluserver, Comtrance, 1&1 Versatel, Telia, Vodafone, and Zayo. The site is a key connectivity hub, hosting leading internet exchanges DE-CIX and ECIX (Megaport), and offering ultra-low latency fibre links to Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Berlin, and the Nordics.
The acquisition signals increasing investor demand for manage-to-core data centre assets with institutional-grade tenancy and strategic technical capability. For developers and operators, it also underscores the rising importance of secondary metro areas like Düsseldorf as viable alternatives to overheated core data centre markets.
“The acquisition of this key data centre hub in Düsseldorf marks a strategic addition to Principal European Data Centre Fund I, further strengthening our presence in key European digital infrastructure markets,” said Paul Lewis, Managing Director, European Data Centres at Principal Asset Management. “With a high-quality tenant mix and significant technical capability, we believe this asset will continue to attract strong occupier interest as demand accelerates.”
The €297m fund, now closed to new investors, previously acquired assets in Barcelona, Dublin, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and the UK. Its targeted strategy aligns with broader institutional shifts toward alternative assets offering resilience, growth, and ESG-aligned operational potential.
For long-term investors, the opportunity lies not only in tenant strength and connectivity but also in rising hyperscaler demand across decentralised markets like North Rhine-Westphalia, positioning assets like Connecta Park for future scalability and value uplift.
People mentioned:
Paul Lewis, Managing Director, European Data Centres, Principal Asset Management
Companies and roles:
Principal Asset Management – Buyer, fund manager
Digital Realty, Colt, Pluserver, Comtrance, 1&1 Versatel, Telia, Vodafone, Zayo – Tenants
Connecta Park – Data centre asset
DE-CIX, ECIX (Megaport) – Internet exchanges hosted on-site
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