Digital Agenda Funding

Project Status: Live Project

Project Leader: Jose Manuel San Emeterio

EU Programme: Northern Periphery and Arctic (2021 - 2027)

Project Budget: €1,045,749

Start Date: Sep, 2026

Finish Date: Feb, 2028

Project Website: Soon!

The aim of the project is to:

The project aims to strengthen the capacity of municipalities across the Northern Periphery and Arctic region to plan for, attract and manage data centre investment.

Specific objectives are to:

Kainuu, Finland
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences(Lead Partner)
Kajaani University of Applied Sciences will be the lead partner of the project


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Donegal, Ireland
ERNACT Network(Partner)
ERNACT will be the lead in communications in the DC NEST project


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Iceland, Iceland
South Iceland municipality association (SAAS)(Partner)
SASS contributes to DC-NEST as a municipal and regional governance partner, providing place-based 
public-sector perspectives and coordination capacity.


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Västerbotten, Sweden

Umeå University (Partner)
Umeå University will play an active role in the project, contributing expertise and practical input across key activitie

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The ERNACT regions focus on adapting and transferring services, approaches or digital knowhow between regions. Please examine the following table to see a list of specific items transferred over the past few years

DC NEST strengthens the capacity of NPA municipalities to attract, assess and manage sustainable data‑center investments, aligning with Priority 3.1 by enhancing institutional skills and cooperation across public authorities.

The project highlights the DC sector as a driver of energy‑efficient, cold‑climate solutions, using place‑based energy surpluses, renewable integration and smart energy management suitable for remote communities.

Through jointly developed outputs—such as the Sustainable DC Development Toolkit, Local Capacity Building Framework and a shared NPA strategic vision—the project equips municipalities with practical methods for environmental assessment, energy integration, heat‑reuse planning and socio‑economic evaluation.

Cross‑sectoral dialogues, expert networks and regional sub‑strategies ensure municipalities gain the tools and confidence needed to participate effectively in macro‑regional DC ecosystem development and the wider energy transition.