Spa Comms attended its first event of the year, Data Centre Expo Global, bringing together industry leaders from forward-thinking organisations to discuss the key challenges in data centre innovation. Looking from AI impact on the industry to energy efficiency and future-proofing infrastructure, companies like The Data Centre Alliance, Digital Realty, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and Pure Data Centres Group came together to shape conversations driving tomorrow’s technology landscape.
Here’s a behind-the-scenes look at the insights that stood out, and what they mean for the future of the industry.
The AI Tsunami Transforming the Modern Data Centre
Day one kicked off with an opening panel to discuss the AI boom and its impact on the digital infrastructure. This panel featured Mauro Leuce, Digital Realty, Thibault Contat Desfontaines, UBS, Jon Summers, RISE Institute of Sweden, and Joe Hurman, STL Partners.
Moderated by Caitilin McManus, BloombergNEF, the discussion centred around the rising demands from AI workloads on power, cooling, and infrastructure, and the need for facilities to evolve in response. As computing intensity continues to grow, previous approaches are pushing operators to rethink what is necessary.
But what was a standout point from the panellists was how this is creating a new opportunity for operators. They highlight how AI is showcasing new performance and efficiency standards, allowing facilities to be designed with adaptability and the future in mind. The session set the tone for the rest of the show, focusing on innovation and collaboration being essential in the AI era.
Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Hyperscale Growth
With Day 2 focusing more on Hyperscale, Edge and Infrastructure Resilience, this was evident in one of their opening panels, ‘Hyperscale Horizons: Navigating the Challenges and Opportunities of Massive Growth’.
In this session, Moderator Lloyd Arnold, Climate Tech Analyst at BloombergNEF, was joined by Adriano Pallotta, Black & Tech, Jamie Allen, STACK Infrastructure, Dave Watkins, VIRTUS Data Centers, Mark Gillard, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and Matt Wilkins, Colt DCS, to give vital insights for large-scale developments.
The discussion explored the complexities and strategic imperatives of hyperscaling data centres. From the technical and infrastructure challenges to the business strategies powering rapid expansion, the panellists discussed the practical considerations, such as cooling methods, automation, design, and sustainability initiatives, that are impacting hyperscale success today and for the future.
Our Key Takeaways
As the event closed, three key lessons stood out:
- AI is reshaping how operators look at their strategies for data centre architecture.
- Power and cooling innovation are vital to support next-generation workloads.
- Collaboration is essential for meaningful impact.
This year, Spa Comms was proud to support Data Centre Expo Global in amplifying these vital conversations across the industry. “Data Centre Expo has been recognised as the foundation conference to learn and share insights on data centre innovation. We’re thrilled to collaborate with TechEx to expand its reach among influential leaders in the sector,” our Account Director, Charlotte Wood, says.
Next event: Data Centre World London 2026!
