Data Centres Central to Europe's €200bn AI Strategy

European data centre operators face unprecedented demand signals following the announcement of a €200bn AI investment programme that will require substantial compute capacity expansion across the continent.

The investment initiative, which also encompasses quantum computing, cloud infrastructure, semiconductors and data storage, comes as Germany prepares to host GITEX EUROPE x Ai Everything from 21-23 May at Messe Berlin. For data centre operators, the event represents a critical opportunity to position for the coming wave of AI compute requirements in a market where Germany's ICT sector alone is projected to reach €232.8bn in 2025 according to Statista data.

Franziska Giffey, Mayor of Berlin and Senator for Economic Affairs, Energy and Public Enterprises, said: "Partnering with one of the largest tech and startup global events and hosting the debut of GITEX EUROPE in Berlin strengthens our commitment to solidifying Germany's position as a global magnet for investment and frontier-pushing technologies, spearheading Europe's edge in the next digital decade."

Data centre capacity constraints have emerged as a potential bottleneck for Europe's AI ambitions, with power availability, cooling requirements and site selection becoming board-level concerns for technology firms. The European investment package includes provisions for data infrastructure development, particularly focusing on energy-efficient facilities capable of handling AI workloads.

The Berlin exhibition is organised by KAOUN International with support from the Berlin Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises, Germany's Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, Berlin Partner for Business and Technology and the European Innovation Council.

Cloud Providers AWS, IBM and Dell Focus on Data Centre Evolution at GITEX EUROPE Exhibition

The exhibition will convene over 1,400 technology enterprises, including major cloud and data centre infrastructure providers, from more than 100 countries. Platinum sponsors AWS and IBM will demonstrate next-generation compute architectures alongside technology firms including Cisco, Cloudflare, Dell, Fortinet, Lenovo, NTT, Nutanix, Nvidia, Opswat and SAP – all with significant data centre footprints or infrastructure offerings.

Trixie LohMirmand, CEO of KAOUN International, said: "Amid the AI whirlwinds, there is a coordinated consensus and renewed urgency and unity across Europe to assert its digital sovereignty and leadership as a global innovation force. The region is paving its way as a centre-stage where AI, quantum and deep tech supremacy will be debated, developed and scaled."

For data centre operators, the conference programme includes technical sessions on power density management, liquid cooling solutions and accelerator-optimised facility design. The programme features more than 500 speakers addressing the infrastructure requirements for Europe's AI development, including Sandro Gianella, Head of Europe & Middle East Policy & Partnerships at OpenAI – whose GPT models represent some of the most compute-intensive workloads in commercial deployment.

Technical discussions will cover the requirements for facilities hosting AI training and inference workloads, including the heat dissipation challenges posed by GPU clusters and the power distribution systems required to support them. Sessions will address Europe's data sovereignty requirements and their implications for facility location and design.

Quantum computing infrastructure will receive dedicated attention through the GITEX Quantum Expo, developed with IBM and QuIC, Europe's largest quantum industry association. European governments have committed €7bn to quantum computing research, representing the second largest investment globally after China, with implications for future data centre cooling and power systems.

Alessandro Curioni, IBM Fellow, Vice President Europe and Africa and Director IBM Research Zurich, said: "IBM's investments in AI and quantum computing directly reflect our commitment to Europe, and underscore the key role of collaboration with industry, academia and policymakers for a pan-European ecosystem. These state-of-the-art technologies and facilities will foster innovation, creating new opportunities for talent attraction and ensuring that Europe will always be at the forefront of global technological advancements."

Data Centre Sustainability and Security Take Centre Stage Among Infrastructure Providers and Innovators

Environmental considerations feature prominently in the data centre discussions, reflecting Europe's focus on sustainability. Sessions will address facility power usage effectiveness, renewable energy integration and heat reuse strategies that position data centres as energy contributors to surrounding communities.

GITEX Green Impact will connect data centre operators with innovators in energy efficiency, power management and thermal engineering. Speakers include Gavin Towler, Chief Scientist for Sustainability Technologies & CTO at Honeywell; Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus; Lisa Reehten, Managing Director of Bosch Climate Solutions; Massimo Falcioni, Chief Competitiveness Officer at Abu Dhabi Investment Office; and Mounir Benaija, CTO for EV & Charging Infrastructure at TotalEnergies.

The data security segment will receive particular attention through GITEX Cyber Valley, with participation from Fortinet, CrowdStrike, Kaspersky, Knowbe4 and Proofpoint. For data centre operators, the cybersecurity sessions will address physical security protocols, access management and supply chain integrity.

Speakers include Brigadier General Volker Pötzsch, Chief of Division Cyber/IT & AI at Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence; Mohamed Al-Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity for the UAE Government; Miguel De Bruycker, Managing Director General at the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium; and Ugo Vignolo Lutati, Group CISO for Prada Group.

The exhibition includes North Star Europe, which will host more than 750 startup ventures and 20 unicorns including financial technology firm Qonto and payment service TransferMate – both sectors with stringent data processing requirements. Featured startups include Finland's Semiqon, which develops CMOS transistors for cryogenic conditions with direct applications for future quantum computing facilities.

The event will attract over 600 investors managing assets of approximately US$1tn, including Germany's Earlybird VC, Austria's SpeedInvest, Switzerland's B2Venture, Estonia's Startup Wise Guys and SOSV from the United States – many actively investing in data centre infrastructure and technologies.

With small and medium enterprises constituting 99% of European businesses, data centre colocation providers will connect with potential customers through GITEX SMEDEX. The initiative has support from EISMEA and ICC Digital Standards Initiative, featuring speakers such as Milena Stoycheva, Chairperson of Board of Innovation at Bulgaria's Ministry of Innovation and Growth, and Oliver Grün, President of European Digital SME Alliance and BITMi.

"Europe's data centre sector stands at an inflection point," said Trixie LohMirmand. "The compute infrastructure decisions made today will determine the continent's ability to process AI workloads at scale, making facilities the foundation of Europe's technological future."

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