Amsterdam | Kickstart Europe, one of the largest events in the data center and digital infra industry, reveals the theme of the next edition on February 4 & 5. With ‘The Next Gen’, the conference addresses an important question: Have we arrived at the next generation data centers?
Change is in the air as data centers across Europe are evolving rapidly. For example, major investments in (new) data center facilities are announced in Spain, Italy, France, and the UK. Moreover, a lot of developments – from (new) construction to merger and acquisitions – are also happening in the traditional markets such as Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin. One of the major factors that drive this growth is Artificial Intelligence, which requires a lot more capacity from current and new facilities. Therefore, the upcoming edition of Kickstart Europe will address how the industry faces this growth with the related challenges and opportunities.
Scale and impact
The AI-boom will redefine construction practices, energy consumption, and even the locations of new data centers. During the conference in Amsterdam, which traditionally attracts many industry leaders from all over world, executives and topnotch experts will discuss how to adapt your business strategy to these next generation matters. For example, in terms of cooling, what methods are needed to increase energy efficiency? And what new data center infrastructure is needed in order to keep up with capacity demands? And all the while Europe is laying sustainability goals on the industry as well. Will legislation mandate a PUE of 1.2 in the future and is this realistic?
Furthermore, the conference will examine how data centers can be better integrated in urban environments in order to solve grid congestion, which is a major societal concern in many European countries.
Finance Forum
In the previous edition earlier this year, Kickstart launched the Finance Forum in which data center operators and financial institutions could meet and discuss the advantages of industry. For the upcoming edition, the conference attracts even more investors (e.g. banks, private equity firms) than before by providing an extensive program with panel discussions and networking opportunities that will gain insights for both parties. Stijn Grove, chairman of Kickstart Europe, addresses the importance of this matter: “As market consolidation accelerates, we are witnessing that large private equity firms are increasingly financing and spearheading data center projects. These investments lead to a new phase in the industry’s financial ecosystem with a volume that we have never seen before.”
Who will plan, build and run the industry?
As the data center industry is currently developing their “next gen” infrastructure, one concern about another generation needs to be taken into account. The aging population in Europe (and the world) raises concerns about whether there are enough skilled workers in the future.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over in 2030. By 2050, the world’s population of people aged 60 years and older will double (2.1 billion). Therefore, experts at the Kickstart Europe will examine how the industry can attract new talents and influence career choices and become a part of the European digital transformation.
Expand your network
Visit the website of Kickstart Europe for more information about the conference on February 4 & 5 in Amsterdam or click here to directly order your tickets.