The 2025 DCD Connect | London event, held September 16-17, 2025, brought together over 4,000 industry leaders, experts, and stakeholders to explore the future of digital infrastructure with a sharp focus on key themes that are shaping the sector today. The event spotlighted how artificial intelligence, sustainability, energy strategy, and workforce transformation are redefining every layer of the industry.

The agenda was filled with contributions from many of the world’s most influential voices in infrastructure design, investment, and operations. Below are just a few highlighted speakers:

A central theme was the accelerating pace of AI deployment and its profound impact on data center design, power, and cooling strategies. Industry leaders discussed how the increasing density and performance demands of AI workloads are prompting a reevaluation of infrastructure components, from high-density compute hardware to advanced cooling solutions, aimed at supporting scalable, efficient, and resilient AI-ready data centers.

Sustainability and energy transition were also key highlights. Operators and investors alike agreed that transparent reporting, circular design principles, and collective action are now prerequisites for industry credibility. Collaboration across vendors, policymakers, and customers was repeatedly identified as the foundation for achieving net-zero goals while maintaining the reliability and scalability demanded by the AI era.

Energy security emerged as a critical concern, especially in the context of Europe’s shifting energy landscape. As European operators confront tightening grid capacity and rising power costs, discussions emphasized the urgent need for diversified energy strategies and responsible growth. Attendees explored how hydrogen, biogas, nuclear, and renewable power can coexist within the future energy mix, as well as how operators can integrate storage technologies and smarter management systems to deliver reliable, low-carbon operations. The consensus was clear: energy resilience and sustainability are now inseparable from profitability and long-term success.

The event also addressed the evolving regulatory landscape and the potential designation of data centers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), emphasizing the need for advanced security measures and resilient operations to safeguard national interests.

The construction and cooling segments reflected the industry’s ongoing pursuit of efficiency and scalability. Developers examined how modular and prefabricated approaches are accelerating deployment while balancing embodied carbon goals. Cooling specialists shared insights into liquid, hybrid, and AI-assisted systems that can manage unprecedented rack densities without compromising environmental performance. Throughout these discussions, speed to market remained a dominant theme driven by both AI growth and investor expectations.

The conversation also extended to people and skills. With workforce shortages persisting across all technical disciplines, the industry spotlighted new pathways for talent recruitment and retention. Initiatives that connect veterans, students, and reskilled professionals to data center careers were praised as vital to closing the gap between expanding capacity and limited human resources.

DCD>Connect | London 2025 reinforced that the industry is at a pivotal point. Key themes of AI integration, sustainable energy, security, and collaboration are not just trends but foundational elements defining the future of data centers. The event underscored that success will depend on how effectively the sector can innovate, partner, and adapt to these pressing global and technological challenges.

To learn more about the DCD>Connect event series, click here.