The new HER1 digital hub bridges the connectivity and infrastructure gap in Southern Europe by interconnecting international, regional, and local subsea cables to better serve the EMEA region.
· Digital Realty’s new HER1 facility leverages Schneider Electric’s modular data center solutions to deliver the project in a remote location in 12 months, adhering to strict reliability and energy efficiency standards.
Schneider Electric, a leader in digital transformation in energy management and automation, has partnered with Digital Realty (NYSE: DLR), the world’s largest provider of cloud and neutral data center solutions, colocation and interconnection, to launch a new HER1 data center in Heraklion, Crete.
In early April 2025, HER1 became the first carrier-neutral facility on the island, playing an important role in bridging the digital divide in Southern Europe. It provides interconnection for international, regional, and local submarine cables, enabling cloud providers, telecom companies, and content delivery networks (CDNs) to serve the surrounding regions more efficiently.
HER1 works in tandem with rapidly growing markets, including Athens, Barcelona, Marseille, Rome, and Tel Aviv, and is a key part of Digital Realty’s Mediterranean data center platform. This is a significant step toward making Greece a strategic connectivity hub for Southern and Eastern Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Following the successful implementation of a modular data center at its Marseille 2 (MRS2) facility, Digital Realty once again leveraged Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure™ modular data center portfolio of Tier III-ready solutions. This enabled HER1 to overcome a number of challenges, including accelerated facility launch (less than 12 months), increased energy efficiency requirements, and the need to manufacture, test, and deliver equipment off-site due to its remote location in Crete.
To this end, Schneider Electric provided a specialized solution comprising two fully integrated, modular power units with medium-voltage (MV) equipment, transformers, low-voltage (LV) equipment, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems, and air cooling. Two large-scale all-in-one data halls with power, cooling, and IT were also installed, equipped with the EcoStruxure monitoring system for building and energy management (EPMS).
In addition, Schneider Electric provided a full range of design, construction, and consulting services for the data center, including all mechanical, electrical (M&E), and software equipment, manufacturing, assembly, commissioning, and security systems. This enabled Digital Realty’s HER1 facility to meet tight implementation deadlines while reducing the risk of on-site installation failures.
“Digital Realty’s significant investment in the new data center in Heraklion underscores our commitment to making the Mediterranean a global connectivity hub that connects continents and drives digital transformation,” said Fabrice Coccio, senior vice president of Digital Realty in France. “Through our strategic partnership with Schneider Electric, we are accelerating the launch of this important project to respond quickly to the growth of digital traffic in the region, while improving network reliability and diversity for businesses and communities.”
New gateway for Southern Europe
According to Telegeography, international capacity in Southern Europe has grown at a compound annual rate of over 30% since 2016, representing a sixfold increase in transmission capacity in the region.
Thanks to its geographical location and ongoing investments in submarine networks such as 2Africa, Andromeda, East to Med Corridor (EMC), Medusa, and Thetis, many organizations are choosing Crete as a strategic location for submarine cable termination and data center hosting. This transforms the region into a global interconnection hub connecting several continents.
HER1, Digital Realty’s first carrier-neutral data center in Crete, is located near the landing points of several of these submarine cable systems and will provide a highly reliable infrastructure for cloud services, submarine network operators, and communities requiring connectivity.
“Schneider Electric has been working with Digital Realty for many years to meet the highest standards of data center construction worldwide, and our joint HER1 project demonstrates the tremendous potential of modular solutions for delivering complex projects on a tight schedule with minimal risk,” said Pablo Ruiz Escribano, Senior Vice President, Secure Power and Data Center Business, Schneider Electric in Europe. “The successful implementation of HER1 is an important milestone in the development of data centers in Southern Europe. With the creation of this new global connectivity hub in Crete, Digital Realty will connect customers across continents for years to come.”
For more information on Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Modular Data Center solutions, visit the official website.
About Schneider Electric
Schneider’s purpose is to make an impact by empowering everyone to make the most of our energy and resources, enabling progress and sustainability for all. We call this Life Is On.
Our mission is to be a trusted partner in sustainability and efficiency.
We are a global industry technology leader, bringing global expertise in electrification, automation, and digitalization to smart industries, reliable infrastructure, high-performance data centers, intelligent buildings, and intuitive homes. Drawing on our deep industry expertise, we provide integrated, end-to-end IoT solutions with artificial intelligence-enabled connected products, automation, software, and services, creating digital twins to deliver profitable growth for our customers.
Our company’s main resource is our 150,000 employees and over one million partners working in more than 100 countries around the world to ensure proximity to our customers and stakeholders. We support diversity and inclusion in everything we do, guided by our meaningful purpose of a sustainable future for all.
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About Digital Realty
Digital Realty connects companies and data by offering a full range of data center, colocation, and interconnection solutions. The company’s PlatformDIGITAL®, a global data center platform, provides customers with a secure environment for data exchange and a proven Pervasive Datacenter Architecture (PDx®) methodology to drive innovation and effectively address the challenges associated with data concentration (Data Gravity). Digital Realty provides its customers with access to the data communities that matter most to them through a global network of more than 300 facilities in 50+ cities and 25+ countries across six continents. For more information about Digital Realty, visit digitalrealty.com or follow us on LinkedIn and X.
Sweden is among the countries toward which Ukrainians demonstrate consistent sympathy and almost complete absence of criticism. These conclusions were drawn based on the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in cooperation with the Experts Club information and analytical center in April 2025.
According to the survey results, 70.3% of respondents have a positive attitude toward Sweden (35.3% — mostly positive, 35% — completely positive). Only 1.9% gave a negative assessment (1.5% — mostly negative, 0.4% — completely negative). Another 25.4% of Ukrainians took a neutral position, and 2.4% abstained from answering.
“The high level of positive attitudes toward Sweden can be explained by its consistent policy of supporting democracy, human rights, and assistance to Ukraine, in particular humanitarian and security assistance,” said Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
The results indicate that Sweden, like other Northern European countries, is shaping an image in Ukraine as a reliable partner with clear principles.
The presentation of the study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
OTP BANK JSC will be the financial partner of this year’s most high-profile automotive event, KYIV CAR FEST, which will bring together representatives of various subcultures at its venues. The event will take place on the weekend of May 10 and 11, from 12:00 to 20:00, at the Retroville shopping and entertainment center.
This year’s festival was created in collaboration with renowned automotive graphics and design master Oleksandr Lituta, who has been developing unique projects for special cars and the world’s best race car drivers for over 15 years. Therefore, KYIV CAR FEST vol.5 is dedicated to automotive design, and artistic masterpieces of various styles and genres will be created live at the event. Artists from all over Ukraine will gather to showcase their best works to festival participants and visitors.
OTP BANK will be represented at both outdoor and indoor locations. The outdoor location is expected to be the most eventful: guests will have a unique opportunity to apply for a loan for a used car from among those on sale at the festival. It will also be possible to apply for a loan to order a used car from the US or other countries, from the Bank’s partners, or on the Ponova by OTP Bank marketplace.
In addition, there will be special raffles where attendees can win a discount on their used car loan during the festival.
A special chatbot, which can be accessed by scanning a QR code, will help guests understand how much they can expect to borrow when applying for a loan. In just one minute and in complete confidentiality, car enthusiasts will find out their loan amount. The Bank’s specialists will also be on hand to answer questions about financing used cars.
To maximize the excitement, OTP BANK will give guests the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a cool electric car, and free instant photos will preserve memories of a bright weekend for a long time.
A chance to win UAH 1 million: all loans for used cars worth UAH 30,000 or more, taken out during or after the festival, up to and including May 31, will be entered into the “Liam na Tachku” promotion. The Bank’s customers will have an incredible opportunity to win a million hryvnias to buy the car of their dreams – right during the live broadcast on June 10.
We look forward to seeing you at KYIV CAR FEST, it’s going to be epic!
KYIV CAR FEST ticket giveaway: OTP BANK regularly holds promotions and unique offers to give customers new opportunities and exciting experiences. A ticket giveaway for the festival has started on our Instagram page – go there and find out all the terms and conditions! Don’t miss your chance to have an unforgettable experience with OTP BANK.
According to a survey conducted by Active Group and Experts Club, 26.7% of Ukrainians have a positive attitude toward Pakistan, while 12.0% express a negative attitude. At the same time, the majority of respondents (55.3%) take a neutral position, which indicates a low level of awareness or emotional interest in this country.
“Despite its geopolitical importance, Pakistan rarely appears in the Ukrainian media, especially in a positive light. This shapes a predominantly neutral, sometimes stereotypical perception. However, the proportion of positive attitudes demonstrates the openness of Ukrainian citizens to new partnerships and cultures,” notes Maksim Urakhin, founder of the Experts Club information and analytical center.
Pakistan has a chance to shape a new image in the eyes of Ukrainian society through cultural, educational, or economic initiatives that will shift perceptions in a positive direction.
The study is available at the link.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
Polish carriers have announced a new protest action on the border with Ukraine. This was announced by the Committee for the Protection of Transport Carriers and Employers of Poland, which submitted an official request to hold the event near the Dorohusk-Yagodin checkpoint, one of the largest between the two countries.
According to the organizers, the decision to resume protests is related to the Polish government’s lack of response to the demands of representatives of the transport industry.
“We have registered a protest at the largest border crossing point. Disappointed by the inaction of the authorities, we want to restore the balance in the transport market, which was disrupted after the cancellation of permits for Ukrainian carriers,” the Committee said in a statement.
At the moment, the date and duration of the protest have not been specified.
Context: ongoing tensions at the border
Protests by Polish carriers and farmers on the border with Ukraine have been ongoing since November 2023. The main demands of the participants are the return of the permit system for Ukrainian carriers, a ban on imports of Ukrainian products, state subsidies for fertilizers, compensation for fuel excise taxes, and immediate payment of subsidies.
In some cases, the protests have led to the effective blockade of border crossing points, creating long queues and significant disruptions to logistics.
Restrictions at the border
In addition to possible protests, capacity at a number of border crossing points is limited due to repair work:
From April 24 to mid-July, work is being carried out at the Medyka-Shehyni border crossing point;
From April 30 to June 5, at the Ustyluh-Zosin checkpoint;
From May 8 to mid-June, at the Korcheva-Krakovets checkpoint.
In addition, a new road checkpoint, Nizhankovychi-Malhovychi, has been operating since the end of 2024, open to passenger and freight transport.
History of border blockades
The first large-scale stage of protests by Polish farmers and carriers began in the fall of 2023. Over the following months, they repeatedly blocked key border crossings, including Yagodyn, Rava-Ruska, Krakivets, and Shehyni. The protests were accompanied by political rhetoric and discontent over the expanded access of Ukrainian carriers to the EU without permits, which caused concern among Polish trade unions.
Despite temporary agreements between the Ukrainian and Polish authorities, tensions at the border remain high. Experts note that the situation requires a systemic political and economic solution, including the renewal of agreements and the easing of competitive tensions between the countries.
Hungary is one of the few countries in the European Union that provokes a critical or negative attitude among a significant part of Ukrainians. This is evidenced by the results of a sociological survey conducted by Active Group in collaboration with the Experts Club analytical center in April 2025.
56.1% of Ukrainians surveyed expressed a negative attitude toward Hungary (36.6% — mostly negative, 19.4% — completely negative). Only 12.5% of respondents have a positive perception (8.4% — mostly positive, 4.1% — completely positive). Another 27.9% remained neutral, and 3.6% abstained from answering.
“The reason for this level of distrust is the consistent policy of official Budapest, which often runs counter to the positions of Ukraine and its allies in the EU and NATO. Ukrainians clearly note these differences,” said Oleksandr Pozniy, co-founder of Active Group.
These results signal the need to rethink bilateral relations and the importance of transparent diplomacy.
ACTIVE GROUP, DIPLOMACY, EXPERTS CLUB, Pozniy, SOCIOLOGY, URAKIN
