{"id":1530,"date":"2023-07-14T15:12:07","date_gmt":"2023-07-14T15:12:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gb25.eco.de\/data-centre-expert-group\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:34:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:34:10","slug":"data-centre-expert-group","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/gb25.eco.de\/en\/topics\/digital-infrastructures\/data-centre-expert-group\/","title":{"rendered":"Data Centre Expert Group"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Data Centre Expert Group<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, the experts of the Data Centre Expert Group were once again actively involved in various formats such as meetings, workshops and panel discussions. The focus of their work covered topics including energy efficiency, the utilisation of waste heat, and the development of data centre projects both on greenfield sites and within existing infrastructure. These activities were complemented by a four-part roadshow series with stops in Hamburg, Luxembourg, Frankfurt and Munich, as well as a seven-part webinar series on topics related to digitalisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of the Expert Group\u2019s activities in 2026, 41 participants discussed the relevance of current energy efficiency metrics in the context of existing regulations during a virtual meeting on 6 February. The Competence Group Leader, Dr B\u00e9la Waldhauser, presented the results<\/a> of a current PUE survey and addressed the challenges involved in determining these metrics in the context of the data centre register.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On 18 March<\/a>, 51 participants gathered at the DE-CIX MeetingCenter in Frankfurt for the first in-person meeting of the year. Under the title \u201cPlanning Power Densities in Data Centres \u2013 Strategies and Approaches for Determining Requirements\u201d, the Competence Group Leader Dr B\u00e9la Waldhauser presented the new white paper \u201cOrientation Guide\u00a0to Power Density and Load Determination of Servers, Data Cabinets and Data Centres<\/a>\u201d. The authors Ulrich Terrahe and Peter auf dem Graben (both DC-CE RZ-Beratung), along with Marcus Pump (SVA GmbH), were available to answer questions from participants during a discussion session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


On 8 April, the topic \u201cBuilding-Integrated Photovoltaics for Data Centres\u201d was the focus of a virtual exchange meeting of the Competence Group. Thirty participants were able to learn about standards and various system concepts for efficient building operations. The exchange was complemented by short presentations from Kai Brandau, Jochen Weick and Manfred Starlinger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of a discussion format organised by the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany on 9 April in Berlin, Dr B\u00e9la Waldhauser \u2013 the Competence Group Leader and Alliance Spokesperson \u2013 introduced the topic \u201cSector Coupling and Data Centre Development \u2013 Synergies for the Berlin Metropolitan Region\u201d. In the subsequent panel discussion with Klaus M\u00fcller, President of the German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA),<\/strong> panellists discussed the contribution data centres can make to the networks of the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 5 May, the evening before the Data Center Expert Summit, the eco Data Center Awards 2025 were presented in Mainz as part of a festive gala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the category \u201cMost Innovative Data Centre Project under 3.5 MW\u201d, the award was presented to JH-Computer GmbH. In the category \u201cMost Innovative Data Centre Project over 3.5 MW\u201d, Akquinet outsourcing gGmbH was recognised. Bernhard Huter received an award as \u201ceco Data Center Person of the Year\u201d for his commitment within the sustainability initiative \u201cRacks4Roots\u201d. Peter Knapp, long-standing Managing Director of Interxion Deutschland GmbH, now Digital Realty, was honoured with a \u201cLifetime Achievement Award\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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On 6 May, the sixth Data Center Expert Summit (DCES) took place at the Alte Lokhalle in Mainz, bringing together more than 180 industry experts. The specialist conference, held as part of the 30th anniversary of eco, provided a central platform for exchanging views on current and future key topics in digital infrastructure. Discussions focused on the strategic importance of the sector as the backbone of digital transformation in Germany. Particular emphasis was placed on sustainable concepts and innovative approaches such as future-proof heat supply solutions to ensure the long-term competitiveness of the data centre location. The event thus highlighted the importance of a high-performance and environmentally conscious digital infrastructure for the entire economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 4 and 5 June, Data Center World took place at Messe Frankfurt. eco was once again represented with a joint stand. Various panel discussions explored topics such as \u201cThe Network Economy of Data Centres \u2013 Growth, Resilience and the Workforce of Tomorrow\u201d and \u201cOptimisation and Security in Data Centres \u2013 Challenges and Solutions for Efficient Infrastructure Operations\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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On 12 September, the Competence Group welcomed around 100 industry experts to the in-person meeting \u201cStructural Change & Digital Transformation\u201d at Paffendorf Castle in the Rhein district. During a guided bus tour to the former Niederaussem power plant site, the Hambach open-cast mine and future digital park areas, participants gained insight into the scale of the ongoing structural transformation. In the subsequent discussion sessions, participants experienced first-hand the transformation of the Rhenish mining region into a leading digital region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The focus was on data centres and digital parks as strategic drivers of the future, creating new sustainable value chains through innovative approaches such as industrial waste heat utilisation and on-site energy generation. The event underscored the vision of positioning the region as an \u201cInnovation Valley\u201d at the heart of Europe through the targeted integration of digital infrastructure, location policy and education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 24 September, Dr B\u00e9la Waldhauser, Leader of the Data Centre Expert Group and Spokesperson for the eco Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, discussed the future data centre strategy of the federal state of Hesse and the role of data centres for the economy and labour market with Ivo Ivanov, CEO DE-CIX, and Prof. Dr Kristina Sinemus, Hessian Minister for Digitalisation and Innovation, as part of an AllianceTalk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 8 October, the topic \u201cExisting Data Centre Space \u2013 Challenges and Solutions<\/a>\u201d was the focus of a Competence Group meeting. The host, Fogtec Brandschutz GmbH, provided the ideal setting at the historic industrial site of Cologne\u2019s Carlswerk to discuss the potential of brownfield developments, electricity availability and savings potential through the \u201cdigital twin\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of \u201cVernetzt NRW \u2013 The Digital Infrastructure Summit\u201d on 8 October at Messe Essen, representatives of the Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany presented the study \u201cThe Internet Industry in Germany 2025-2030: Future Prospects for Digital Infrastructures<\/a>\u201d to an expert audience.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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On 3 and 4 November, the motto at Coburg University of Applied Sciences was \u201cBack to the Future \u2013 AI, Energy and a Century of Quantum Physics\u201d. Fifty industry experts from academia, business and data centre operations discussed current developments in AI, energy efficiency and quantum computing during the final Competence Group meeting of the year. The event provided ample opportunity for professional exchange, inspiring presentations and networking on the intersection of technology and sustainability in data centre operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the AllianceTalk \u201cForward-Looking Location Policy or All in for AI Gigafactories\u201d on 4 December in Berlin, G\u00fcnter Eggers, Member of the Steering Committee of the eco Alliance for the Strengthening of Digital Infrastructures in Germany, introduced the topic of location policy. The subsequent discussion and keynote focused on the \u201cFuture of Germany as a Data Centre Location\u201d and the \u201cOutlook for the Federal Data Centre Strategy\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Data Center Roadshow Autumn 2025<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2025, four events of the highly successful Data Center Roadshow format were once again held. The after-work format in various Internet regions once again invited participants to network in a relaxed atmosphere. The series kicked off on 1 October in Hamburg<\/a> under the title \u201cDigital Harbour \u2013 Your Data Hub in Hamburg\u201d. Further networking events followed on 15 October in Luxembourg<\/a> (\u201cEurope\u2019s Digital Heart \u2013 Innovations for a Sovereign Cloud\u201d), on 30 October in Frankfurt<\/a> (\u201cData Capital \u2013 Data Centres as Drivers of the Digital Economy\u201d), and on 13 November in Munich<\/a> (\u201cHigh-Tech from Bavaria \u2013 Data Centres as Enablers of Innovation and Energy Efficiency\u201d). The successful format is set to continue in additional cities next year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Further Contributions to Content<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As part of the funding project DC2HEAT (Data Centre Heat Recovery with AI Technologies), coordinated by the Borderstep Institute, eco representatives participated in the second advisory board meeting on 29 April.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 8 May, Dr B\u00e9la Waldhauser, the Competence Group Leader, took part in a panel discussion at the Gigabit Summit Hesse alongside representatives from economic development and the IT industry on the topic \u201cData Centres as Drivers of Gigabit Infrastructure Expansion\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 22 May, eco representatives of the Competence Group participated in the 14th Frankfurt Symposium for Digital Infrastructure. The event focused on how to better leverage the opportunities of AI while minimising risks. Discussions addressed necessary policy impulses for maintaining competitiveness, the central role of education and training, and the development of sustainable infrastructure to meet increasing computing and energy demands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 22 August, Nejc Jakopin (Arthur D. Little) presented excerpts from the eco study \u201cThe Internet Industry in Germany 2025\u20132030\u201d to municipal and North Rhine-Westphalia state-level representatives during the second meeting of the \u201cFuture Council Digital Park Bergheim\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 16 September, representatives of the Competence Group participated in the \u201cAssociation Roundtable on Data Centres and Heat\u201d organised by the DENEFF EDL_HUB. One of the objectives was the development of user-friendly guidelines on waste heat utilisation use cases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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