Upcoming Industry Events

Major Panel: The recipe for modern data center resilience

Date: March 24, 2026 at 5:00 p.m.

Speaker: Chris Brown, Chief Technology Officer, Uptime Institute

Capacity constraints have dominated headlines for years, and with demand continuing to soar, operators are being forced to redefine what resilience really means, and adapt their strategies accordingly. In the face of power access challenges, cost volatility and the growing talent gap, how can operators develop the right mix of infrastructure, strategy, innovation and investment to build data centers that can endure as well as expand?

This panel assesses the core requirements essential for long term resilience, including:

• Power: Securing affordable, reliable megawatts and strengthen grid partnerships
• Pricing: Managing volatile costs in materials, energy and essential technologies
• Places: Rethinking siting land against the backdrop of tougher permitting and power scarcity
• Process: Ensuring operation consistency and resilience across expanding portfolios
• People: Building skilled teams and community trust to sustain long-term capacity growth

Panel: Flexible energy provision for data centers

Date: March 25, 2026, 12:50-16:30

Speaker: Dr. Tomas Rahkonen, Research Director of Sustainability, Europe, Uptime Institute

As data centers scale at unprecedented speed, their energy demands are becoming one of the defining challenges for power systems worldwide. Traditional “always-on” energy supply models are straining grids, delaying interconnections, and inflating costs.

• How do we solve grid congestions
• What are the newest battery solutions available
• How are we helping to solve flexibility through balancing uptime requirements with dynamic energy strategies
• How is the role of AI workloads shaping future energy demand profiles

Technology Panel II: Invisible Infrastructure – Keys to Maximizing DC Efficiency

Fecha: March 26, 2026 at 12:55 p.m.

Moderator: Rafael Serrano, Senior Consultant, Spain & Portugal, Uptime Institute

Ubicación: Hotel Riu Plaza España de Madrid

KEYNOTE: 3 Pillars of Datacenter Resiliency

Date: March 26, 2026, 10:10 AM - 10:30 AM

Speaker: Gary Wong, Sales Director, Philippines, Indochina, South Asia, Uptime Institute

Five Data Center Predictions for 2026

Date: April 23, 2026, 14:00-14:25

Location: Stage 3

Speaker: Dr. Tomas Rahkonen, Research Director of Sustainability, Europe, Uptime Institute

Join Tomas Rahkonen for his session on some of the latest developments and challenges currently shaping the industry, looking beyond the more obvious trends of 2026. AI is transforming data center strategies, but its impact remains uneven due to unclear demand, complex infrastructure needs, and long development timelines. Growth in AI workloads will continue to be driven by a small number of large organizations with the resources to deploy high-density systems. Challenges in securing power, managing advanced cooling requirements and capital project delays will persist or intensify. At the same time, AI automation tools will move from pilot projects to operations, delivering measurable efficiency gains. And, as new AI applications begin to show real business value, data center operators will need targeted investments and plan carefully to keep pace.

Panel: From CapEx to OpEx: Re-Engineering the Commercial Model for Modern Data Centres

Date: May 19, 2026, 11:50 AM - 12:30 PM

Speaker: Jeff Wood, Vice President, North America, Uptime Institute

Flexible contracts and usage-based pricing are transforming how operators manage risk and profitability. This presentation will explore the operational and financial benefits of consumption models, how to embed ESG metrics into pricing strategies, and methods for sharing risk and increasing transparency. Attendees will learn how modern commercial models can drive both business efficiency and customer satisfaction.

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Presentation: Energy Efficiency in Digital Infrastructure: The Opportunity Beneath the Challenge

Date: May 19, 2026, 1:00 - 1:30 PM

Speaker: Jay Paidipati, Vice President of Energy and Sustainability Program Management, Uptime Institute

Energy efficiency is at the heart of building truly sustainable digital infrastructure. While design plays an important role, the way a data center is operated day to day—how energy is monitored, managed, and optimized—has an even greater long-term impact. Improving energy efficiency won’t solve every challenge facing data center operators, but it can address many of them—reducing environmental impact, lowering operating costs, and strengthening operational resilience. Small improvements in how facilities are measured, managed, and optimized can translate into significant savings at scale. This presentation will look at practical steps operators can take to improve their energy efficiency from lessons learned in the field. 

DCD>Debate: Machine‑led vs. human‑led - Who should run operations?

Date: October 26, 2026, 13:30 — 14:15

Speaker: Mustapha Louni, Chief Business Officer, Uptime Institute