The winners of the eco Data Centre Award 2026 have been announced: at the awards ceremony on the eve of the Data Centre Expert Summit 2026, an independent six-member expert jury recognised innovative data centre projects and outstanding individuals in the data centre sector.

European companies want to grow through digitalisation, but there are still significant hurdles to implementation. A new FACIS survey of 800 industry decision-makers in Europe reveals that 92 % are planning new digital business models, yet challenges such as cybersecurity, costs and regulatory hurdles are holding back implementation.  

The draft act to amend the German Telecommunications Act (TKG) contains important measures to accelerate the rollout of fibre optic and mobile communications networks, according to eco – Association of the Internet Industry. The association welcomes, among other things, the simplification of road-related procedures, improved participation rules along railway lines and better access to energy infrastructure. At the same time, eco warns against new data obligations, unclear procedures and additional bureaucracy. To turn the draft into a genuine acceleration act, eco is calling for shorter deadlines, more practical rules and greater investment certainty.

Grid connection is increasingly becoming a decisive factor in new data centre projects. Daniel Marhewka, a partner and Attorney-at-Law at Fieldfisher, outlines the legal hurdles involved and how greater planning certainty can be achieved.

Mind the Gap, Close the Abuse Loop: A Dutch-German Exchange Cross-Border Abuse Meeting eco, its topDNS Initiative and the Dutch Cloud Community invite you to a joint members-only Dutch-German Security, Abuse & DNS Working Group Meeting! On 3 September 2026, the Dutch Cloud Community (DCC) and eco –...

Critical infrastructure such as data centres requires security concepts that go beyond traditional monitoring. In this interview, Georgij Sieloff, Executive Director of PSA Sicherheitsmanagement GmbH, explains why physical security, trained staff and measurable operational quality are crucial for resilient digital infrastructure.

Ahead of the planned presentation of the Cloud and AI Development Act, eco Association warns against blanket exclusion mechanisms for cloud and AI services. Digital sovereignty must not lead to protectionism, explains eco’s Managing Director Alexander Rabe. Transparent, proportionate and technically verifiable criteria are crucial.

In this eco interview, Tyson Barker of Christ & Company discusses digital sovereignty, technological resilience and the strategic importance of future technologies for Europe. The discussion also addresses the question of how companies can effectively contribute their technological expertise at the intersection of business, politics and regulation.