Zurich Group Germany is launching a combined construction and operations insurance product tailored to data center projects — closing coverage gaps that standard policies often leave open during phased commissioning.
Demand for data centers in Germany is accelerating at a pace that has few precedents. Two converging forces are driving this: the digitalization of the broader economy and the rapid build-out of infrastructure required for artificial intelligence applications. The federal government has responded with a national data center strategy that targets at least a doubling of capacity by 2030. But as projects grow larger and more complex, the risks they carry have outpaced what conventional insurance products were designed to handle.
Zurich Group Germany is now bringing to market an insurance and risk management solution developed specifically for data center construction projects. The offering addresses coverage gaps that arise during the phased commissioning of large facilities — a stage that standard policies frequently leave inadequately protected.
Between Policy Ambition and Commercial Pressure
Germany’s national data center strategy reflects a broad political consensus: digital infrastructure is not an optional investment but a structural prerequisite for economic competitiveness and the deployment of AI-driven services in both the private and public sectors. That political mandate translates into real pressure on companies to deliver projects quickly, in compliance with increasingly detailed regulatory requirements, and within tight budget constraints.
At the same time, the technical complexity of these projects has grown substantially. Large data centers are rarely brought online as a single unit; they are commissioned in stages. During the transition between construction and full operation, risk profiles emerge that neither conventional construction insurance nor standard business interruption cover handles well. Zurich’s new product targets precisely that gap.
A Modular Structure Spanning the Full Project Lifecycle
The product’s foundation is a construction performance insurance policy, to which operators can add a range of optional coverage modules. These include protection against delays in commissioning, an operational coverage layer for the transition period, and business interruption insurance. The modular architecture allows the coverage to be calibrated to a project’s specific profile — from the first shovel in the ground through to steady-state operations.
Alongside the insurance coverage, the Zurich Resilience Solutions unit provides risk engineering and advisory services across the entire project lifecycle, from planning through completion. The aim is to identify and reduce risks before they escalate into costly complications — a preventive approach that complements the financial protection the insurance provides.
International Experience as a Foundation
This is not an untested product. In the United States, Zurich accompanied more than 245 data center construction projects in 2025 alone — a track record that now underpins the offering’s introduction in Germany and other markets. Brazil and Italy are also in scope for the initial rollout, with further markets planned for the course of 2026.
The breadth of this rollout reflects a global trend: the expansion of digital infrastructure is not concentrated in any single region, and the demand for specialized insurance solutions is following the same geographic spread as the investment itself.
Company Statement
“The expansion of data centers is both politically mandated and economically necessary. At the same time, companies face the challenge of reconciling large investments, stringent regulatory requirements, and tight timelines. Added to this are rising complexity and increasing risk density. With our solution, we are closing specific coverage gaps and supporting companies in delivering their projects in this critical sector safely, in compliance with regulations, and on a predictable basis.”
Petra Riga-Müller, Board Member Commercial Insurance Germany, Zurich Group Germany
Dr. Jakob Jung is Editor-in-Chief of Security Storage and Channel Germany. He has been working in IT journalism for more than 20 years. His career includes Computer Reseller News, Heise Resale, Informationweek, Techtarget (storage and data center) and ChannelBiz. He also freelances for numerous IT publications, including Computerwoche, Channelpartner, IT-Business, Storage-Insider and ZDnet. His main topics are channel, storage, security, data center, ERP and CRM.
Contact via Mail: jakob.jung@security-storage-und-channel-germany.de