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In the first episode of a new special series recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 at the Business Design Centre in London, Andy Davis is joined once again by co-host Rory Flashman from Spa Communications to explore the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure market, with a particular focus on the UK and Europe.

Joining the conversation:

Dr. Manesh Patel, Head of Data Center Development, Radiant

Michael Beagan, Managing Director, TES Power

Together, they discuss where Europe can compete in the global race to build AI infrastructure, from its engineering and manufacturing expertise to the opportunities presented by brownfield industrial sites, transferable skills and new approaches to data centre construction.

Manesh explores how the requirements of AI infrastructure are changing traditional site selection. As suitable land and available grid connections become harder to secure, existing industrial buildings and powered brownfield sites are becoming increasingly attractive. The conversation looks at the potential of “box within a box” developments, where existing structures can be repurposed to accelerate deployment and reduce planning requirements.

Michael also discusses the shift from constructing data centres almost entirely on site towards manufacturing more of the infrastructure off site. With speed now becoming one of the first questions customers ask, modularisation, prefabrication and greater supply chain integration are increasingly important to delivering capacity at scale.

The discussion then turns to people. From Northern Ireland’s engineering and manufacturing heritage to apprenticeships, transferable skills and the UK’s AI Growth Zones, the guests explore how the industry can develop the workforce required to support the next generation of compute infrastructure.

Finally, the conversation looks ahead to rising rack densities, changing power architectures and the technical challenges created by pushing significantly more power into increasingly dense AI environments.

Recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 in London.

Key Topics:

• Europe’s advantages in the global AI infrastructure market
• Brownfield sites and the changing approach to data centre development
• Off-site manufacturing, modularisation and faster deployment
• Northern Ireland’s role in data centre power infrastructure
• Apprenticeships, transferable skills and the industry’s talent challenge
• AI Growth Zones and the UK’s ability to scale
• Rising rack densities and changing power requirements
• Why supply chain collaboration will be critical to future growth

Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation on what Europe needs to compete in AI infrastructure, why speed, skills and power are becoming increasingly interconnected, and how new approaches to development and manufacturing could help the UK and wider European market scale for the AI era.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

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In the seventh and final episode of our special series recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, Inside Data Centre brings you a special recording of a Data Centre Marketing Club panel.

Hosted by Rory Flashman, Managing Director of Spa Communications and co-founder of the Data Centre Marketing Club, the discussion brings together marketing and communications leaders from across the data centre industry to explore how the sector can tell its story more clearly, engage communities more effectively and build stronger brands.

Joining the conversation:

Anne Katrine Vestergaard Jensen, VP of Marketing, Vern

Andy Davis, Co-Founder, Data Centre Marketing Club

Nicola Allen, Marketing Director, Techoraco

Agnese Barazza, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, GARBE Data Centers

Together, the panel discusses why community engagement has become one of the most important topics in the data centre industry, and why operators, developers, suppliers and communications teams need to work together to improve public understanding of the sector.

The conversation explores how the industry can move beyond talking to itself, listen more closely to local communities and explain the value of data centres in a clearer, more human way. The panel also looks at the importance of brand differentiation, employer branding, talent attraction and the role of events such as Datacloud in bringing the right people together to share best practice.

From tackling misinformation and improving media engagement to moving away from defensive messaging and telling more honest, accessible stories, this episode highlights the important role marketers and communicators will play in shaping the future reputation of the data centre industry.

Recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes.

Key Topics:

Why community engagement has become a critical issue for data centre development

How the industry can work together to tell a more joined-up story

Why data centres need to stop talking only to themselves

The role of listening in building trust with local communities

How events can bring marketers, operators, investors, policymakers and suppliers together

Why brand differentiation matters in a fast-growing and increasingly crowded market

How Vern approached its rebrand around natural intelligence and renewable power

How GARBE Data Centers is evolving its story for AI inference and urban data centre development

Why employer branding needs to be treated as its own strategic priority

How personal branding can help attract talent and build trust

Why Datacloud’s talent programme is helping bring new people into the industry

How the sector can improve its reputation by being more open, honest and less defensive

Why marketers should be curious, collaborate more and take the industry story outside the data centre community

Tune in for a thoughtful final conversation from Cannes on how the data centre industry can improve its storytelling, build stronger trust with communities and help more people understand the critical role digital infrastructure plays in modern life.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

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In the sixth episode of our series recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, Andy Davis is once again joined by co-host Rory Flashman from Spa Communications for a special episode reflecting on the event itself.

Joining the conversation:

Annabel Helm, Managing Director, Datacloud

Leanne Starace, Senior Vice President, Equinix

Together, they discuss the scale, impact and continued growth of Datacloud Global Congress, which welcomed 6,500 attendees, 7,000 registrations and almost 3,000 CEOs on site in 2026.

The conversation explores how the event has evolved into one of the most influential meeting points for the global data centre industry, bringing together operators, investors, developers, hyperscalers, suppliers, policymakers, finance leaders and new stakeholders from across the digital infrastructure ecosystem.

Annabel shares how Datacloud has grown while maintaining its focus on influence, impact and high-quality networking, with new companies, new sectors and new decision-makers joining the conversation. Leanne also discusses the value of the event from an operator perspective, highlighting the importance of collaboration, transparent dialogue, innovation and deal-making across the industry.

The episode also looks at the biggest themes from the show, including power, investment, nuclear, talent, community, AI, liquid cooling and the increasing importance of education as new sectors and stakeholders engage with the data centre market.

Recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes.

Key Topics:

• The scale of Datacloud Global Congress 2026 and its continued growth.
• Why the event is focused on influence and impact, not just size.
• How the show brings together the full data centre ecosystem.
• The importance of transparent conversations around power, talent, investment and community.
• Why new stakeholders, including nuclear and finance leaders, are now part of the data centre conversation.
• How events like Datacloud help educate emerging sectors on digital infrastructure.
• The value of networking, collaboration and deal-making on the show floor.
• Equinix’s perspective on global growth, customer engagement and AI-ready infrastructure.
• Why talent development and early-career engagement remain critical to the industry’s future.
• How Datacloud is evolving for 2027, including expanded stages, new formats and more speakers.
• Why the data centre industry is no longer “the best industry nobody has heard of”.

Tune in for a behind-the-scenes look at Datacloud Global Congress 2026, why the event has become such an important platform for the global data centre industry, and what its growth says about the future of digital infrastructure.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect