Data EcologiesDigital Commons: A Vision for Intermunicipal Data LabsEtienne Fey, Lars Brunner, and Maurice Stucki

Rare earth minerals for server chips and other utilities are extracted under harsh conditions, often in regions marked by environmental destruction and political instability. Factory workers assemble devices within global production chains driven by speed and low costs. Massive logistics networks transport products across continents, while enormous data centers consume energy and water on an urban scale to sustain our constant demand for connectivity and storage. Underpaid content moderators and data annotators produce and maintain AI and digital platforms.

For most people, digital technology begins and ends with the seamless use of a smartphone, cloud service, or AI application. Yet behind this apparent simplicity lies a vast physical and human infrastructure involving countless lives, resources, and forms of labour.

To introduce a more democratic, sustainable, and socially integrated approach to data storage and data centres, we developed the Data Centre Labs: clustered municipalities that collectively operate their own local data centers. These labs not only store private and public municipal data, but also serve as social and educational spaces where children and citizens can engage with and learn about digital infrastructure. We invite you to explore our journey to the Data Centre Labs.