Cloud & AI Infrastructure Keynote Theatre

A new dynamic has emerged in the European cloud market. Local providers are increasingly positioning themselves confidently as guarantors of digital sovereignty and resilience. In this discussion, we will adress questions such as where European providers really stand in a global comparison, how the local cloud economy can be strengthened, and who needs to take responsibility in this regard.

Speakers:

Marcus Busch, Leaseweb Deutschland

Andreas Kadler, plusserver

Dennis Wimmer, Bechtle

Moderation: Michael Hase, EuroCloud Deutschland_eco e.V.

Keynote Theatre The digital infrastructure, consisting of data centres and data networks, forms the invisible but indispensable backbone of our modern economy – the so-called network economy. It enables almost all digital processes and services that are crucial for today's value creation. This panel discussion will examine the strategic drivers and challenges of this network economy from the perspective of various business models (ISP, edge computing, managed services, HPC). We will explore how enormous growth and new architectures such as edge and hyperscale are shaping the industry and changing the role of colocation. Another focus is on resilience through geo-redundancy and the influence of the increasing regulatory framework on investment decisions. Finally, we turn our attention to the ‘human side’: Which skilled workers will be in demand tomorrow and how can we secure them for the complex world of data centres? Find out where the industry sees the biggest strategic changes, challenges and opportunities in the next 5 to 8 years. Speakers: Axel Schumann, EnviaTel Christoph Streit, ScaleUp Technologies Murat Turgut, NorthC Data Centers Moderation: Roland Broch, eco - Association of the Internet Industry

Energy Efficiency Theatre The demands placed on data centres are more complex than ever: increasing power densities, new legal frameworks such as EnEfG and NIS2, and a growing focus on sustainability are challenging operators and solution providers alike. This panel discussion highlights the current and future challenges in data centre operation from the perspective of operators and providers. We will discuss how AI-supported tools can contribute to process optimisation and increased security, and what role they play in detecting hotspots or predictive maintenance. Another focus will be on the implications of increasing power densities for cooling solutions (air vs. liquid cooling) and fire protection concepts. We also examine the changing role of battery systems for the availability of critical infrastructures and the monitoring options offered by DCIM tools. Finally, we take a look into the future: what role do sustainability and the circular economy play, and what solutions are there to the shortage of skilled workers in order to make the data centre industry fit for the future? Speakers: Artur Faust, EkkoSense Florian Kritzler, nLighten Anne Omar, Fogtec Fire Protection Michael Tuttas, Nlyte Software Moderation: Roland Broch, eco - Association of the Internet Industry

Cloud & AI Infrastructure Keynote Theatre Modern AI applications are often highly distributed and have a voracious appetite for data. The successful operation of such systems requires a consistently powerful and optimised network infrastructure that takes into account the specific requirements of the respective application in terms of bandwidth, latency, availability and security at all network levels – from data centre networking to LAN and WAN. Speakers: Uwe Bergmann, NETHINKS Martin Leipziger, PŸUR Business Thomas Ruder, Nokia David Meyer, Arista Moderation: Michael Hase, EuroCloud Deutschland_eco e.V.

Cloud & AI Infrastructure & Cyber Security Theatre Who controls our data – and at what price? While Europe insists on data protection and sovereignty, central digital infrastructures continue to be dominated by non-European providers. Transatlantic data traffic remains controversial in terms of legal and security issues – and presents European companies with difficult decisions. Can European cloud and infrastructure offerings compete with US giants? How can data be stored securely – even outside Europe? What role does trustworthy network infrastructure play in our digital sovereignty? What does Europe need to become technologically independent and legally resilient? Speakers: Pascal Färber, Orange Business Digital Services Germany Mathias Groben, firstcolo Thomas Ruder, Nokia Moderation: Olaf Pursche, Head of the Security Competence Group, eco - Association of the Internet Industry

Cloud & AI Infrastructure & Cyber Security Theatre A very topical question is how European data processing, particularly with regard to cloud and AI use, is responding to the increasingly threatening situation for information and data security created by the Trump administration. Chinese service providers (and manufacturers) have always been under suspicion, but the pressure to justify the use of American technology is also steadily increasing. Speakers: Sebastian Cler, SpaceNet Peter Höhn, plusserver Murat Turgut, NorthC Datacenters Moderation: Ulrich Plate, Head of the KRITIS Competence Group, eco – Association of the Internet Industry

Speakers:

• Dr. Dominik Rohrmus, Siemens AG
• Ernst Stöckl-Pukall, German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action
• Emma Wehrwein, eco – Association of the Internet Industry - FACIS