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ICT Sector Update: What Changed Globally — Nov 22–29, 2025

Here’s a look at the key developments in information & communication technology (ICT) from the past week — and why they matter.

On Nov. 19, 2025, Palo Alto Networks and IBM unveiled a new joint “Quantum-Safe Readiness” solution to help companies assess cryptographic vulnerabilities and migrate toward quantum-resistant security.
The new tool will inventory cryptographic assets across hybrid environments, detect quantum-vulnerable encryption, and enable automatic upgrades to quantum-safe algorithms — giving organizations a clear path to future-proof security.
Impact: As quantum computing advances, traditional encryption is increasingly at risk. This upgrade arms companies with a proactive way to safeguard sensitive data, protect intellectual property, and avoid “harvest now / decrypt later” threats. It’s a foundational shift toward quantum-era cybersecurity readiness.

A major investment plan announced this month will transform the coastal city of Sines into a global AI and cloud infrastructure node. Microsoft — together with partners Nscale and Start Campus — is deploying 12,600 next-generation GPUs at the new campus.
The data center campus will eventually offer up to 1.2 GW of IT capacity, positioning Europe for large-scale AI workloads, cloud services, and digital infrastructure growth.
Impact: This is a big boost for European digital sovereignty, cloud capacity, and AI infrastructure. It enables local enterprises, governments, and research institutions to access world-class compute power — reducing reliance on US-based data centers and lowering latency for European users. It will also likely spawn job creation and further investments in edge / cloud infrastructure across the continent.

The quantum-safe initiative by Palo Alto + IBM reflects a broader shift in the ICT sector: organizations are beginning to treat quantum-resistance not as a theoretical future concern but as an urgent strategic need.
Analysts warn that many enterprises remain unprepared: while quantum-resistant encryption standards exist, fewer than 5% of companies globally have formal migration plans — meaning much data remains vulnerable.
Impact: This highlights a structural vulnerability in global ICT systems. The companies and sectors able to adopt quantum-safe infrastructure early will gain a competitive edge. Others risk data breaches, future decryption, and non-compliance — potentially leading to regulatory, reputational, or economic harm when quantum computing becomes mainstream.

New data-center projects continue worldwide, driven by surging demand for AI workloads, cloud storage, and enterprise digital infrastructure. (DataCenterKnowledge)
Alongside the Microsoft-led Portugal build-out, multiple hyperscalers and cloud providers are increasing capacity, modernizing facilities, and preparing for larger data-processing and storage loads tied to AI, enterprise computing, and global digital services.
Impact: This expansion underpins the next wave of digital transformation — enabling faster AI deployment, improved global connectivity, better data resilience, and infrastructure for emerging services (cloud gaming, remote work, IoT, etc.). At the same time, it raises stakes around energy demand, data governance, and the need for sustainable, secure infrastructure. Indeed, some environmental experts caution that rapid data-center growth could strain energy and water resources.

Quantum-ready cybersecurity is becoming business-critical. With Palo Alto + IBM’s solution, enterprises now have a clear migration path — expect a wave of audits, migrations, and security upgrades across sectors (finance, healthcare, government, etc.).
Europe is strengthening its AI & cloud sovereignty. The Portugal data-center hub marks a strategic shift: AI-ready infrastructure is no longer concentrated in the U.S. Increasing capacity in Europe could accelerate AI innovation, cloud services, and data-driven industries regionally.
Infrastructure build-out scales up globally — but sustainability and governance matter. As data centers expand worldwide, energy consumption and environmental impact rise. This tension may fuel more investment in clean energy-powered data centers, regulation around data centers’ environmental footprint, and innovations in low-power high-efficiency computing.
Companies that delay quantum-safe upgrades risk long-term exposure. Data harvested now could be decrypted later once quantum computing becomes viable — meaning data security is a multi-decade commitment, not a short-term fix.