![\"Energie](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/6wz5at-29224476.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
Energie Wasser Luzern has converted a disused civil defence shelter into a secure data centre. <\/p>\n
RTS <\/p>\n
Iran targeted three data centres in the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain \u2013 a first in any conflict. In the digital age, such infrastructure has become a prime target. Former Swiss military bunkers are now attracting growing interest from those seeking to protect their own data or their clients’ data.\n<\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
May 8, 2026 – 09:00\n<\/p>\n
\n Fran\u00e7ois Ruchti, Antoine Michel, RTS <\/p>\n
During the Cold War, Switzerland had some 8,000 bunkers. The military has always kept the exact number a secret. After the fall of the Berlin Wall, the army abandoned many of these installations with their thick concrete walls. According to one estimate, around 1,000 were sold to the private sector, sometimes for a pittance. Their new owners converted them into cheese cellars, mushroom farms, museums and now data centres.<\/p>\n
In the canton of Lucerne, the industrial services have converted a bomb shelter into a digital safe. The state-owned utilities company Energie Wasser Luzern has invested CHF30 million ($38.5 million) in the conversion of this 1968 underground complex, designed to accommodate 1,200 people and capable of withstanding an atomic attack.<\/p>\n
\n More<\/p>\n
![\"Army](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/ef2d6f39761b4e91449b0745c9e7b4a2605c23b9-89704729.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
More <\/p>\n
Swiss Politics\n <\/p>\n
Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers <\/p>\n
This content was published on <\/p>\n
Jul 19, 2025 <\/p>\n
The army is looking for a modern solution for its decommissioned fortress mortar bunkers, with plans to turn them into hardened defence hubs. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Read more: Swiss army looks to repurpose old bunkers Rising demand<\/p>\n Marco Reinhard, head of the centre, says interest has increased since the start of the war in the Middle East.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve noticed that in recent weeks there have been more enquiries from new customers than usual, sometimes even from abroad. This is probably linked to the current international situation. Sensitivity to the issue of physical data security is increasing,\u201d he told Swiss public broadcaster RTS.<\/p>\n \u2018Without energy, it doesn\u2019t work\u2019<\/p>\n Some specialists question the relevance of converting underground shelters into secure data storage facilities.<\/p>\n \u201cA data centre depends on external logistics: without energy, without a network, without cooling, it doesn\u2019t work. In our view, the only advantage of a bunker is that you can cool your infrastructure without using air conditioning,\u201d says Thomas Jacobsen, spokesman for data host Infomaniak.<\/p>\n \n More<\/p>\n More <\/p>\n Inside SWI\n <\/p>\n Our newsletter on geopolitics <\/p>\n Switzerland in a fast-moving world. Join us to follow the latest Swiss foreign policy developments. We offer the perfect immersive package. <\/p>\n
\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"Newsletter](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ch\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/newsletter_teaser_foreign_affairs.jpg\")
<\/p>\n