On 4 and 5 June, the eco Association exhibited at the Tech Show Frankfurt alongside eleven sub-exhibitors and contributed to the official programme with seven panel discussions. The eco joint stand, complete with a barista, served as a central meeting point for discussions on the cloud, digital infrastructures and innovations in the digital sector.

In terms of content, the focus was particularly on data centres as the central foundation of digitalisation. Against the backdrop of rising demands driven by key technologies such as artificial intelligence, experts discussed topics such as energy efficiency, resilience, securing a skilled workforce and technological advancement. At the same time, it became clear that the market is growing dynamically: alongside rising demand for open source solutions – particularly from the local authorities – energy and network infrastructure is also becoming increasingly important for the site selection of data centres. A consistent regulatory framework and close cooperation with relevant stakeholders are therefore considered key prerequisites for the further expansion of digital infrastructure.

Another key focus was on future-proof cloud infrastructures in Europe. Open standards, data availability and legally compliant use are regarded as fundamental factors for sustainable digital value creation. The discussions highlighted the importance of interoperable and standardised approaches to strengthen scalability and capacity for innovation whilst ensuring data protection, security and legal clarity. Initiatives such as 8ra exemplify how a federated European cloud and edge infrastructure can contribute to strengthening digital resilience through collaboration between industry, the public sector and research.

The panels hosted by eco were:

• Strengthening the European digital economy – Opportunities for regional cloud providers amidst the tension between sovereignty, scalability and geopolitics 
• The network economy of data centres – Growth, resilience and the skilled workforce of tomorrow 
• Optimisation and security in the DC – Challenges and solutions for efficient infrastructure operation
• Artificial intelligence needs data highways – The demands distributed AI applications place on network infrastructure
• European standards, data sovereignty and alternatives – Continental resilience 
• 8ra – A Key Pillar for Europe’s Digital Sovereignty
• The new digital sovereignty in Europe