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In the second episode of our special series recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 in London, Andy Davis is once again joined by co-host Rory Flashman from Spa Communications to explore what the UK needs to become a competitive force in AI infrastructure.

Joining the conversation:

Nick Reid, Public Policy Lead, CoreWeave

Adam Nethersole, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing, Kao Data

The conversation begins with one of the biggest questions surrounding the development of AI infrastructure: what does sovereign AI actually mean?

Nick and Adam discuss why sovereignty is about more than simply building everything domestically. From control and trusted access to interoperability and data residency, they explore what genuine AI sovereignty could look like for users, businesses and governments.

The discussion then turns to the UK’s position in the global AI race. While the country has world-class research, academic expertise and AI talent, high energy costs and limited large-scale compute capacity are making it difficult to compete for intensive AI training workloads. The guests explore why inference may present a more immediate opportunity, and what needs to change if the UK wants to capture more of the economic value created by AI.

Scotland also comes into focus as a potential hub for future AI infrastructure. With abundant renewable energy, a cooler climate and strong universities, both guests see significant potential, but argue that grid constraints, policy and public opposition could prevent that opportunity from being fully realised.

Finally, the conversation tackles one of the industry’s biggest challenges: public perception. Nick and Adam discuss why operators need to move away from secrecy, communicate openly about environmental impact and engage directly with the individual communities surrounding data centre developments.

Recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 in London.

Key Topics:

• What sovereign AI and sovereign compute actually mean
• Why control, choice and interoperability matter for AI sovereignty
• The balance between AI training and inference workloads in the UK
• How energy costs are affecting the UK’s competitiveness
• Scotland’s potential as a major AI infrastructure hub
• The relationship between renewable energy, grid constraints and compute
• Why transparency and accurate data are essential to community engagement
• How the industry can better communicate the economic and societal value of AI infrastructure

Tune in for a timely conversation on whether the UK has the foundations to compete in AI infrastructure, what sovereignty should mean in practice, and why energy, policy and public trust will be crucial to turning British AI ambition into long-term economic value.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

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In the first episode of a new special series recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 at the Business Design Centre in London, Andy Davis is joined once again by co-host Rory Flashman from Spa Communications to explore the rapidly evolving AI infrastructure market, with a particular focus on the UK and Europe.

Joining the conversation:

Dr. Manesh Patel, Head of Data Center Development, Radiant

Michael Beagan, Managing Director, TES Power

Together, they discuss where Europe can compete in the global race to build AI infrastructure, from its engineering and manufacturing expertise to the opportunities presented by brownfield industrial sites, transferable skills and new approaches to data centre construction.

Manesh explores how the requirements of AI infrastructure are changing traditional site selection. As suitable land and available grid connections become harder to secure, existing industrial buildings and powered brownfield sites are becoming increasingly attractive. The conversation looks at the potential of “box within a box” developments, where existing structures can be repurposed to accelerate deployment and reduce planning requirements.

Michael also discusses the shift from constructing data centres almost entirely on site towards manufacturing more of the infrastructure off site. With speed now becoming one of the first questions customers ask, modularisation, prefabrication and greater supply chain integration are increasingly important to delivering capacity at scale.

The discussion then turns to people. From Northern Ireland’s engineering and manufacturing heritage to apprenticeships, transferable skills and the UK’s AI Growth Zones, the guests explore how the industry can develop the workforce required to support the next generation of compute infrastructure.

Finally, the conversation looks ahead to rising rack densities, changing power architectures and the technical challenges created by pushing significantly more power into increasingly dense AI environments.

Recorded live at The Xcelerated Compute Show 2026 in London.

Key Topics:

• Europe’s advantages in the global AI infrastructure market
• Brownfield sites and the changing approach to data centre development
• Off-site manufacturing, modularisation and faster deployment
• Northern Ireland’s role in data centre power infrastructure
• Apprenticeships, transferable skills and the industry’s talent challenge
• AI Growth Zones and the UK’s ability to scale
• Rising rack densities and changing power requirements
• Why supply chain collaboration will be critical to future growth

Tune in for a wide-ranging conversation on what Europe needs to compete in AI infrastructure, why speed, skills and power are becoming increasingly interconnected, and how new approaches to development and manufacturing could help the UK and wider European market scale for the AI era.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect

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In the seventh and final episode of our special series recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes, Inside Data Centre brings you a special recording of a Data Centre Marketing Club panel.

Hosted by Rory Flashman, Managing Director of Spa Communications and co-founder of the Data Centre Marketing Club, the discussion brings together marketing and communications leaders from across the data centre industry to explore how the sector can tell its story more clearly, engage communities more effectively and build stronger brands.

Joining the conversation:

Anne Katrine Vestergaard Jensen, VP of Marketing, Vern

Andy Davis, Co-Founder, Data Centre Marketing Club

Nicola Allen, Marketing Director, Techoraco

Agnese Barazza, Senior Marketing and Communications Manager, GARBE Data Centers

Together, the panel discusses why community engagement has become one of the most important topics in the data centre industry, and why operators, developers, suppliers and communications teams need to work together to improve public understanding of the sector.

The conversation explores how the industry can move beyond talking to itself, listen more closely to local communities and explain the value of data centres in a clearer, more human way. The panel also looks at the importance of brand differentiation, employer branding, talent attraction and the role of events such as Datacloud in bringing the right people together to share best practice.

From tackling misinformation and improving media engagement to moving away from defensive messaging and telling more honest, accessible stories, this episode highlights the important role marketers and communicators will play in shaping the future reputation of the data centre industry.

Recorded live at Datacloud Global Congress 2026 in Cannes.

Key Topics:

Why community engagement has become a critical issue for data centre development

How the industry can work together to tell a more joined-up story

Why data centres need to stop talking only to themselves

The role of listening in building trust with local communities

How events can bring marketers, operators, investors, policymakers and suppliers together

Why brand differentiation matters in a fast-growing and increasingly crowded market

How Vern approached its rebrand around natural intelligence and renewable power

How GARBE Data Centers is evolving its story for AI inference and urban data centre development

Why employer branding needs to be treated as its own strategic priority

How personal branding can help attract talent and build trust

Why Datacloud’s talent programme is helping bring new people into the industry

How the sector can improve its reputation by being more open, honest and less defensive

Why marketers should be curious, collaborate more and take the industry story outside the data centre community

Tune in for a thoughtful final conversation from Cannes on how the data centre industry can improve its storytelling, build stronger trust with communities and help more people understand the critical role digital infrastructure plays in modern life.

Support the show

The Inside Data Centre Podcast is recorded in partnership with DataX Connect, a specialist data centre recruitment company based in the UK. They operate on a global scale to place passionate individuals at the heart of leading data centre companies.

To learn more about Andy Davis and the rest of the DataX team, click here: DataX Connect