Government in Talks With Six Companies Over Data Centres, Including Chris Pavlovski's Rumble
The national data centre is being built near Bunardzhik. No agreement has been signed yet — all talks remain ongoing.
The government is in talks with six companies over data centre investment in Macedonia, Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski confirmed in an interview with MIA from Washington. Among them is Rumble, the company led by Chris Pavlovski. "You mentioned Chris Pavlovski and Rumble — they just made an acquisition, bought a company in Germany, and are now worth about $5 billion. That's a serious group developing seriously. Yes, we are talking with him. We have five other companies we are talking with," Mickoski said, without naming the other five.
The national data centre, separately, will be built near Bunardzhik, close to Skopje's technological-industrial development zones, Digital Transformation Minister Stefan Andonovski announced. The site is state land with no agricultural use, with enough room for a possible photovoltaic plant to supply power.
Mickoski stressed that future data centres should be built to modern technological and environmental standards, with cooling systems — air and freon-based — and a closed system that doesn't consume large amounts of water. Data centre development is part of the government's broader strategy to shift toward higher-value-added industry.
Within days, the debate around the project also took on a political dimension. The opposition has raised questions about power and water consumption and about the transparency of talks with potential investors. The government side answers that these are investments bringing technological development and new jobs. No agreement has been formally signed so far — all six discussions remain at the talks stage.
MKNews Hub · Economy · September 20, 2026