Events

Schneider calls for collaboration on London data centres

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has brought together organisations from across the public and private sectors to discuss the infrastructure challenges facing London's data centre market and the collaboration needed to support future AI growth. Held in partnership with Opportunity London and SEGRO, the roundtable explored how London can maintain its position as Europe's largest data centre hub while addressing growing demand for digital infrastructure. The event, chaired by Laura Citron, Chief Executive of London & Partners, included representatives from government, local authorities, energy companies, data centre operators, real estate, and the wider technology sector. Participants discussed the need for greater coordination around planning, electricity infrastructure, land availability, water use, and emerging technologies such as liquid cooling. The discussions also highlighted the importance of improving understanding of data centre requirements among policymakers as demand for AI and cloud infrastructure continues to grow. The roundtable also examined the role of data centres as critical national infrastructure (CNI) and their contribution to economic growth and AI development. Industry highlights need for coordinated infrastructure planning Matthew Baynes (pictured above), Vice President, Secure Power UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric, says, "Today, there remains a fundamental gap between how policymakers perceive and understand data centres [and] how the industry actually operates. "Decisions around planning, land allocation, and power provision are being made without a complete picture of what's required to meet the AI opportunity, and the UK now risks losing ground to markets where that understanding is far more mature. "As the UK's largest data centre hub, and its default AIGZ, London offers all the advantages needed to lead, but closing the gap between ambition and action is not optional; it is the prerequisite for success." Jace Tyrrell, Chief Executive of Opportunity London, adds, "Data centres are no longer a niche; they are foundational to London’s future economic growth, AI ambitions, and global competitiveness." Maria Jose Rivas-Duarte, Director of Sustainability at Pure Data Centres, also says the discussions demonstrated the importance of collaboration between industry, policymakers, and local communities to support responsible digital infrastructure development, while Luisa Cardani, Head of the Data Centres Programme at techUK, notes the UK's data centre sector has significant potential to contribute to economic growth, but that achieving this will require coordinated action between government and industry. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

DCNN reports from Johnson Controls' 'Innovation Studio'

Johnson Controls, a global provider of smart building technologies, brought its travelling Innovation Studio to London between 23 and 26 June, one stop on a 44-city tour taking the company's building technologies portfolio directly to customers, partners, and media across Europe. DCNN was invited along to step inside the mobile showcase and sit down with John Foley, General Manager, North West Europe at Johnson Controls, whose day job involves leading the company's HVAC team, but whose knowledge stretches across every industry the business serves. The Innovation Studio itself is the physical expression of an idea Johnson Controls has been mulling for some time: how do you take the collective expertise scattered across the business's European operations and put it in front of every market at once? John told us, "All of this information, intellectual property, and, more importantly, the experts that come with it are so diffused all around Europe." The tour, he explains, grew out of conversations between the company's EMEA marketing leadership about how to concentrate that firepower and take it on the road. It is, by his own admission, a fairly bold departure for a company of Johnson Controls' size, but the early results have surprised even the team behind it. "The engagement with our customers so far has been unbelievable," he continued, adding that appetite has varied (sometimes counterintuitively) from city to city, but has been strong across the board. Three pillars, one thermal chain To understand why a HVAC and controls business is investing so heavily in this kind of outreach now, John points to a set of strategic priorities set out by Johnson Controls' chief executive in November 2025: decarbonising the existing built environment, winning in critical environments such as pharmaceutical and biologics production, and enabling what he calls "the future AI economy". It is that third pillar that explains the data centre focus of the London leg. Johnson Controls has served data centres in one form or another for decades, spanning fire and security, heating and cooling, and building automation. What has changed, John says, is the scale of capital and engineering attention now being directed at the sector as a result of AI-driven growth. The company's pitch to the market has also shifted. "Our right to win in a data centre, it's not just about cooling; it's actually about our ability to own and also command the entire thermal management chain," he suggested. That means everything from extracting heat at the chip via liquid cooling plates, through rejection and plant-level cooling, all orchestrated through building automation systems. Heat that does not go to waste One strand of the conversation that stood out was waste heat reuse, an area in which John argues Johnson Controls' combined HVACR capability (he is careful to stress the "R" for refrigeration) gives it an edge over cooling specialists. The company's heat pumps, manufactured at its Sabroe facility in Aarhus, Denmark, are already being used across parts of Europe to funnel heat recovered from data centres into district heating networks serving tens of thousands of homes, a practice some Scandinavian countries now effectively mandate for new data centre developments. John, who lived in Norway for four years, is candid that the UK lags behind on this front. "It's quite frustrating… it's embarrassing," he remarked, though adding that he also sees plenty of opportunity ahead as the conversation matures. What was on show That thermal chain philosophy was reflected in the technology on display inside the studio. On the digital side, OpenBlue, Johnson Controls' AI-powered smart building platform, was positioned as the connective layer tying data, insight, and outcomes together across a building's systems, built on the Metasys building automation and controls backbone, alongside the EasyIO Neo controller range and the Webeasy front end. On the mechanical side, the YORK YVAM air-cooled magnetic bearing chiller was a centrepiece, aimed squarely at hyperscale and colocation cooling loads and built to run efficiently across a wide ambient range without relying on free-cooling coils, alongside the YCPB heat pump range for lower-carbon heating and cooling. Representing the industrial refrigeration side of the business, the Sabroe DualPAC combines the company's ChillPAC and HeatPAC units into a single modular heat pump, aimed at applications needing both cooling and high-temperature heat output efficiently. Bringing it to the UK Wrapping up, John returned to the purpose of the tour itself: getting Johnson Controls' engineers and technology in front of customers who might otherwise only encounter the brand through a single product line. Given the scale of change facing UK data centre operators, from AI-driven density increases to mounting pressure on energy and water use, it is a conversation that feels timely, and one that DCNN expects to keep returning to as the Innovation Studio continues its European run. For more from Johnson Controls, click here.

Data Centre Expo Europe to address infrastructure challenges

Data Centre Expo Europe will take place on 19–20 October 2026 at the RAI Amsterdam in the Netherlands as part of TechEx Europe 2026, bringing together data centre directors, infrastructure leaders, and cloud and colocation specialists from across Europe. The event forms part of a wider programme of enterprise technology conferences and exhibitions, focusing on the challenges and opportunities facing digital infrastructure operators as demand for data centre capacity continues to grow. As organisations respond to the requirements of artificial intelligence, sustainability targets, and increasing energy demands, the event will examine the strategies shaping the next generation of data centre infrastructure. Infrastructure planning amid growing demand Data centre operators across Europe are facing increasing pressure to expand capacity while managing energy availability, efficiency requirements, and evolving regulatory obligations. Topics expected to be discussed during the event include scaling infrastructure for AI and high-density computing workloads, improving energy efficiency, strengthening operational resilience, and developing facilities capable of adapting to future demand. The first day of the conference will focus on the relationship between infrastructure investment, sustainability, and digital innovation. Sessions are expected to explore how organisations are balancing capacity growth with environmental objectives, alongside discussions on energy strategy, power availability, cooling requirements, and infrastructure planning. The programme will also examine the role of automation and intelligent operational practices in improving performance and reducing operational risk. In addition, speakers will consider how growing demand for AI and cloud services is influencing infrastructure planning, project delivery, and long-term investment decisions. The second day will shift its focus towards data centre services, commercial models, and ecosystem development. Discussions will explore how providers are responding to changing enterprise requirements through partnerships, integrated platforms, and service-based offerings. Topics include consumption-based commercial models, hybrid and edge infrastructure deployments, ecosystem development, recurring revenue strategies, and customer onboarding practices. The programme will also consider how AI-driven demand is affecting capacity planning, pricing structures, and service delivery across the sector. Operational insight from across the sector The event aims to provide infrastructure leaders with practical insight into challenges affecting the European market. Areas of focus include managing energy constraints, balancing cloud, colocation, and on-premise infrastructure, long-term capacity planning, and aligning infrastructure strategies with wider digital transformation initiatives. More than 250 speakers are expected to contribute to the programme, sharing experiences from large-scale infrastructure projects, AI deployment initiatives, and operational improvement programmes. Sessions will also examine approaches to resilience, uptime, risk management, and cost control, with an emphasis on lessons learned from real-world deployments. Data Centre Expo Europe is positioned as a forum for organisations assessing how infrastructure, investment, and operational strategies must evolve to support future growth across the European data centre sector. Registration is open via the event website.

A-Gas to attend DCN Toronto as sponsor

A-Gas, a company specialising in lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM), will attend Data Center Nation (DCN) Toronto in Canada on 9 June as an official sponsor, following its participation as a Gold Sponsor at DCN Milan earlier this year. The company is increasing its engagement with the data centre sector as demand for digital infrastructure continues to grow and cooling efficiency remains a key consideration for operators. A-Gas specialises in LRM, providing services focused on the recovery, reclamation, reuse, and disposal of refrigerants. While the company has traditionally operated in sectors including HVAC, automotive, and cold chain logistics, it is expanding its focus on data centres and their cooling requirements. Operating in 15 countries, A-Gas provides refrigerant supply services alongside refrigerant recovery and management programmes for facilities undergoing equipment replacement or decommissioning. Refrigerant management remains key cooling consideration As data centre operators deploy higher-density infrastructure and adopt new cooling technologies, refrigerant management is becoming an increasingly important aspect of sustainability and operational planning. A-Gas says its offering includes on-site refrigerant recovery services, reclaimed refrigerant supply, and the destruction of refrigerants that cannot be processed for future reuse. The company notes it will use the event to meet with industry stakeholders and discuss approaches to cooling infrastructure management within data centre environments. For more from A-Gas, click here.

Schneider to showcase AI infrastructure at Datacloud

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has announced it will present its latest AI-ready data centre technologies during the Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, France, from 1–4 June 2026. The company says it will showcase technologies designed to address increasing demands around power delivery, cooling, resiliency, and high-density compute as AI workloads continue to scale. According to Schneider Electric, the event will focus on infrastructure designed for AI deployments, including power architectures, liquid cooling systems, software platforms, and digital services for data centre environments. The company cites forecasts from Morgan Stanley and Gartner predicting significant growth in AI-related infrastructure investment and global AI spending over the coming years. Industry discussions to focus on AI growth challenges On 2 June, Frédéric Godemel, EVP of Energy Management Business at Schneider Electric, will join representatives from Oracle, DATA4, QTS Data Centers, and CBRE for a keynote panel examining AI infrastructure demand and the development of neocloud deployments. Later that same day, Thierry Chamayou, Vice President of Cloud and Service Providers in EMEA at Schneider Electric, will participate in a separate panel discussing energy investment strategies and utility collaboration for AI infrastructure projects. Participants include representatives from GreenScale, Trench Group, Kao Data, JSM Group, and Solar Turbines. Marc Garner, Global President of Schneider Electric’s Cloud and Service Provider Segment, says, “AI is fundamentally reshaping the future of digital infrastructure, creating new demands around power, cooling, and resiliency at unprecedented scale. “At Datacloud Global Congress, we will demonstrate how collaboration across the ecosystem is enabling the next generation of AI factories and helping organisations build scalable, resilient, and sustainable infrastructure built for the AI era.” Liquid cooling and AI data centre technologies on display Schneider Electric will also present technologies including its 800VDC architecture, liquid cooling systems from Motivair, high-density racks, and digital modelling platforms. The company says demonstrations will include NVIDIA Omniverse integrations, digital twin technologies, and NVIDIA reference designs for the GB300 NVL72 platform. Visitors to Stand 122 will also be able to view the company’s EcoStruxure IT DCIM and EcoStruxure Foresight software platforms, alongside its microgrid and data centre services portfolio. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Data centre cycling event returns to Cannes

The Data Center Cycling Club (DC.CC) will return to the French Riviera ahead of the Datacloud Global Congress 2026, bringing together riders from across the global data centre sector for a charity cycling challenge in Cannes. Now in its fourth year, the event will see 17 riders from nine companies complete a three-day route across the French Riviera between 29 May and 31 May 2026. Organisers say the event is intended to promote wellbeing, industry networking, and fundraising for charity. Founded by Tom Babbington, DC.CC has expanded each year since launching, with support from businesses across the data centre industry. This year’s routes begin in Cannes and include climbs and coastal roads across the region, including Col de la Madone, Gorges du Loup, the Mediterranean coastline, and Mont Vinaigre. Riders are expected to cover approximately 500km and 7,644m of elevation across the three days. The event will again be led by Marcus Cram, event manager and cyclist, alongside UK National Hill Climb Champion Rachel Galler, who will act as guide for the tour. Tom Babbington, Founder of DC.CC, says, “When I founded the Data Center Cycling Club, I believed our industry was full of people who love a challenge, love a cause, and love the opportunity to come together through cycling. “This event is about much more than the kilometres we ride; it’s about building connections across the industry and supporting a charity carrying out life-changing work for children and families.” DC.CC supports children’s medical research charity Funds raised through the 2026 event will go to Action Medical Research, a UK charity that funds medical research focused on children and babies. According to the charity, its research funding has contributed to developments including polio vaccines, meningitis treatment, and ultrasound scanning during pregnancy. Lucy Holloway, Corporate Partnerships & Events Management Executive at Action Medical Research, comments, “Support from initiatives like DC.CC helps us to continue funding the next generation of medical breakthroughs for babies, children, and families across the UK.” DC.CC first launched with the Tour of Europe ride from Amsterdam to Monaco, timed to coincide with the opening of Datacloud Global Congress. Organisers say participation has continued to grow since the inaugural event. This year’s event is supported by companies from across the data centre sector, including Adaptive MDC, Pentagon Technical Services, EAE Group, Ridge & Partners, Spa Communications, GagaMuller, Kolo DC, Zauner Group, and B + R Architects.

Data Centre Energy Summit to focus on AI power demands

The Data Centre Energy Summit (DCES) 2026 will bring together representatives from the UK’s energy and digital infrastructure sectors to examine the growing energy demands associated with artificial intelligence and large-scale data centre development. Taking place at the Storey Club Paddington in London, the event will focus on how the energy sector can respond to increasing demand from hyperscale computing, cloud expansion, and AI infrastructure. Organisers say the summit will address issues including grid constraints, planning delays, water usage, energy strategy, and rising infrastructure costs, with discussions centred on practical approaches to delivering data centre capacity within energy-constrained environments. Sessions throughout the event will examine topics including onsite power generation, grid integration, engineering design, microgrids, and energy campus models. Financial and regulatory considerations, including ESG reporting and planning frameworks, will also form part of the programme. Industry leaders to discuss energy infrastructure challenges Confirmed participants include Paul Stein, CEO of Floral Energy; Katie Davies, Head of Energy & Infrastructure Policy at TechUK; and Jonathan Clark, Associate Director at Gleeds, alongside a broader cohort of industry figures involved in shaping the future of power and connectivity. Eric Lewis, Managing Director of Foresight Industries, says, “We have deliberately chosen to approach this summit from the perspective of the energy sector looking at data centres, rather than the other way around. "This perspective allows us to better understand how different parts of the energy sector can respond to one of the fastest-growing challenges in infrastructure today.” According to the organisers, the event is intended to encourage earlier collaboration between energy providers, infrastructure developers, policymakers, investors, and engineering teams as pressure on power networks continues to increase. The summit will also explore how cooling systems, heat reuse, and high-density computing requirements are shaping future infrastructure planning and investment decisions. To find out more about the summit, click here.

A-Gas participating as a Gold Sponsor at DCN

With the growing global demand for data, the need for efficient cooling solutions and environmentally friendly refrigerants is becoming increasingly critical. Meeting this rising demand sustainably is essential, which is where A-Gas, a company specialising in lifecycle refrigerant management (LRM), says it can play an important role, supporting the industry’s transition to lower-GWP alternatives. The company has announced that, for this reason, it will attend Data Center Nation (DCN) in Milan as a Gold Sponsor on 27 May, demonstrating how it can actively support industry players. Data Center Nation is an event dedicated to the data centre industry. The organisers say it serves as a hub where hyperscalers (such as AWS and Microsoft), investors, enterprise end users, and infrastructure suppliers can come together to discuss the future of digital infrastructure. At the event, A-Gas says it will feature a dedicated booth and contribute to the Tech Stage panel with a presentation titled 'Cooling in Transition: HFCs, Low-GWP Refrigerants & the Data Centre Challenge'. On 27 May, attendees can visit the company's stand to learn more about its offerings to support the transition to low-GWP alternatives and to discover its recovery, reclamation, and repurposing technologies. For more from A-Gas, click here.

Data centres 2026: Energy efficiency and sustainability

Prospero Events Group says it is proud to present the 3rd Energy Efficiency & Sustainability in Data Centers 2026 conference, taking place on 26–27 May 2026 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The event will bring together senior decision-makers, technology innovators, and sustainability leaders to explore how data centres can become more energy efficient, resilient, and environmentally responsible. Event presentation topics and speaker panel As AI adoption, hyperscale growth, and electrification continue to increase power demand, the conference will focus on the strategies needed to balance performance with sustainability. Key discussion areas include: • Renewable energy integration• Cooling efficiency and uptime• Waste heat reuse and district heating• On-site energy generation and energy resilience• ESG integration across the data centre lifecycle• Grid constraints and power availability• AI-driven optimisation and future-ready infrastructure The conference will feature expert insights from leading organisations, including: • Günter Eggers, Director Public, NTT Global Data Centers• Vladimir Prodanovic, Principal Program Manager, NVIDIA• Pedro Filipe Barreiros, Data Center Operations, Google• Stijn Grove, Managing Director, Dutch Data Center Association• Martijn Van Wijngaarden, Global Energy Transaction Manager, Iron Mountain• Simon Muskett and Olalekan Salami, Digital Realty The event offers a valuable platform for collaboration amongst operators, investors, technology providers, and sustainability experts committed to building the next generation of low-impact, high-performance data centres. Explore the complete speaker lineup, session topics, and key discussion points shaping the future of sustainable data centres. To register and download the event agenda, click here.

FTTH Conference 2026 highlights Europe’s fibre momentum

The FTTH Conference 2026 has successfully concluded, bringing together industry leaders, policymakers, and investors to assess progress and priorities for Europe’s fibre future. Discussions confirmed steady momentum in fibre rollout, alongside a growing focus on adoption, investment sustainability, and enabling regulatory frameworks. Key topics included the strategic role of fibre as backbone infrastructure for data centres interconnectivity, network resilience and cybersecurity, cloud applications, and technologies of the future like artificial intelligence (AI). The event also provided the stage to recognise excellence across the sector through the FTTH Awards and FTTH Innovation Awards 2026. FTTH Awards 2026 winners: • Individual Award — Trevor Linney, Network Technology Director at Openreach• Operator Award — Netomnia (United Kingdom)• Champion of Diversity Award — SIRO (Ireland) FTTH Innovation Awards 2026 winners: • Passive Infrastructure — Homes Passed+Featuring FiberMag by Emtelle• Active Infrastructure Central Network — Multi-PON line card LLLT-A by Nokia• Active Infrastructure Home Network — SDG 8000 and 9000 Series mesh Wi-Fi solutions by Adtran• Planning, Workflow, Mapping/GIS Software — NET Scan by TKI• Installation Equipment, Tools, Test & Measurement — FTB-Lite Series by EXFO• Artificial Intelligence & Software — Mosaic One Clarity by Adtran FTTH Council Europe President Francesco Nonno comments, “The FTTH Conference 2026 confirms that Europe is facing the last phase of fibre coverage and of migration from copper to fibre, which is proving difficult in a number of countries. "Policy choices, such as copper switch off, are much welcomed to accelerate this process, while the focus is clearly shifting towards building resilient, future-proof networks that will underpin Europe’s digital decade.” The FTTH Council Europe says it now looks ahead to the next edition of the event, FTTH Conference 2027, taking place from 16–18 March 2027 at MiCo Milan in Italy, where the industry will continue to shape the future of fibre connectivity. For more from FTTH, click here.