E D I T O R ' S Q U E S T I O N

round this time in 2023 ,

Q2 was gearing up to present record demand for data centres across Europe ’ s leading markets of Frankfurt , London , Amsterdam , Paris and Dublin ( FLAP-D ), with 114MW of take-up , as specified in JLL ’ s EMEA Data Centres Q2 2023 report . However , only a few months later in Q4 , CBRE ’ s Europe Data Centre figures acknowledged demand outstripped supply in the five biggest markets . Securing available power and appropriate land are the top challenges data centre providers are faced with when trying to meet the considerable demand from their largest customers in Europe .

Beyond the hyperscale developments , the Edge data centre market is set to achieve a 21.4 % CAGR , rising from its 2021 value of US $ 7.2bn to US $ 19.1bn by 2026 – a growth of 165 % in just six years , according to Onnec . This comes as no surprise given the increasing demand for AI and High-Performance Computing ( HPC ), which further fuels the already exponential appetite .

Due to this surge coinciding with various constraints such as rising build costs , low availability and pricing debates , operators are looking outside of the traditional hotspot locations . While hyperscalers and colocation providers search for sites to swell their portfolios , data centre operators are increasingly turning to secondary and tertiary markets , emphasised by Cushman & Wakefield in its 2024 Global Data Center Market Comparison .

Research from Soben ’ s Data Centre Trends 2024 acknowledged ideal locations would have access to land , plentiful renewable energy , cooler climates and a welcoming business environment . Access to established or planned district heating schemes is also a benefit , offering the opportunity to further lower a data centre ’ s carbon footprint . Iceotope also claimed it is critical the rapid growth of Edge Computing is developed in a manner as sustainable as possible , so the sustainable and community-focused factors make it a promising future for new developments .

“ With all of this opportunity , there has also been a conscious effort to reduce impact on the surrounding communities by not only increasing awareness for sustainability but also in efforts to design data centres for a more aesthetic and less disruptive approach ,” said Rachel Striz , Senior Project Controls Manager , EMEA , Soben .

There are environmental considerations to be made despite the desires to expand operations , which will continue for as long as the global market is balancing drastic power consumption , increased digital advancements and regional regulations . The primary market saturation is evidently fuelling Edge opportunities but the viability and morality of whether the facilities are needed will be something operators will deliberate over for a while .

We gather perspectives from industry experts – Jeroen Schlosser , Senior VP Operations , nLighten ; Mark Lewis , CMO , Pulsant ; and Andrew Fray , Head of EMEA Data Centers , Cushman & Wakefield – regarding their outlook on the future of Edge Computing beyond FLAP-D regions .

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