Amsterdam, June 1th, 2021 – On a summer Friday on July 12th, 2019, the Dutch data center industry was taken by surprise: a sudden moratorium from the Amsterdam and Haarlemmermeer municipality was announced. The construction of new data centers within their borders was halted, pending new to-be-established policies. In close collaboration with the industry, represented by the Dutch Data Center Association (DDA), new policies were designed, presented and implemented in 2020. With a full year into the new policies, where does the Dutch data center industry stand? What effect did the moratorium have and what’s in store for the future? The moratorium made one thing clear: the Dutch data center industry was a victim of its own success. The industry was growing with double digits year after year, especially in the Amsterdam area, due to its international attractiveness. The market offers some of the best connectivity options, access to a skilled workforce, proximity to other key European markets and a favorable business environment for foreign direct investments. New policy The newly designed policies allowed the municipalities to bring sustainable growth to the sector. New projects may only be developed in designated areas, use multiple floors if possible, and meet strict criteria in terms of efficiency and sustainability, such as a PUE of 1.2 for new builds. For more on the policies, see our press release and webinar on the moratorium. The effects of the moratorium The new policies brought a clear path for sustainable growth in both municipalities. The industry greatly benefited from this clarity, as shown in the survey held by PB7 Research among DDA participants. The survey is published in the ‘State of the Dutch Data Centers 2021’, our annual market report (which can be freely downloaded here). The research shows that in 2020, the moratorium formed a significant challenge for MRA data centers. One year later, they have adjusted to the new regulatory reality: only 14% sees compliance with local laws and regulation as a key challenge, compared to 30% in 2020. Source: State of the Dutch Data Centers 2021 – Roadmap to Recovery, Dutch Data Center Association, June 2021 Despite the moratorium, the Amsterdam data center market still managed to introduce a high amount of new supply through 2020. Providers added 51MW, with an almost equal amount attributed to the wholesale and retail data center markets. And according to Penny Madsen-Jones, Research Director at CBRE, the Amsterdam market is expected to return to the 2019-post moratorium numbers. In the ‘State of the Dutch Data Centers 2021’ report, she anticipates a record of 71 MW in capacity to come online in 2021. Source: State of the Dutch Data Centers 2021 – Roadmap to Recovery, Dutch Data Center Association, June 2021
Remarkable growth in other Dutch regions An important effect of the moratorium was the growing demand in the Dutch markets outside Amsterdam. As more locations in which data center builds can take place are promoted, interest in the Dutch market returned quickly. For the coming years, PB7 identified new data center plans for 211.000 m2, significantly more compared to 2020, with more than a third of this data floor planned outside of the MRA region. Sustainability is key for sustainable growth Back in 2019, the moratorium has caused serious damage to the sector. Being the first to announce such a moratorium, Amsterdam sent a message to investors: data centers are not welcome here. However, two years later, Amsterdam has gained a whole new role in the global data center realm, with expertise on how it is considering the industry in terms of sustainability. With the new policies implemented, the data center hub has gained renewed attraction. We have seen recently that more governments, such as Singapore, Frankfurt, some regions in China and Ireland, have been forced to go down this road. By the time the issues elsewhere are solved, the Netherlands is likely to have more dedicated areas for data center development and policies that provide a clear path for industry growth. More sustainable data center builds are an undeniable part of our future. One example of this is the European Green Deal in the form of the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, which requires data centers to be climate neutral in 2030. With the new sustainable policies, it makes sense that the Netherlands’ still beholds a promising future. We therefore don’t expect any Friday summer days’ surprises in the coming years. The KickStart Europe Conference releases its annual European Outlook report Amsterdam, January 28 2021 - For all of us 2020 has been an eventful year to say the least. For the data center industry, the pandemic has been a watershed moment: it has been the year in which it has proven its importance for our daily lives and economies - for the whole world to see and experience. Today, the KickStart Europe Conference, which was well attended last week with over 900 attendees, 400 digital meetings and 850 connections, releases its annual European Outlook. In the report you find the most important insights shared at the January conference, next to predictions on the near future regarding cloud, data centers, IT and business trends. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the digital infrastructure industry has shown its resilience and reliability. Digital transformation has become crucial for survival; something which the pandemic only accelerated even more. Governments and businesses around the world have seen the crucial part their digital infrastructure takes in their daily operations and the lives of their citizens. That means that IT infrastructure investments will not be impacted by the coming economic crisis following the Covid-19 crisis, expects Peter Vermeulen from PB7 Research, one of the contributors to the report. The other side of the coin is that ongoing regulations, more emphasis on (data) protection and portability and the use of power by data centers, is looked at more closely by businesses and governments. As a result of standing in the spotlights, the data center industry needs to step up their game regarding sustainability efforts and flexibility. No wonder that the European Data Centre Association EUDCA announced their self-regulatory ‘Climate Neutral Data Center Pact’ at the KickStart Europe conference. Climate change stays the biggest challenge of our time, even in times of a worldwide pandemic. KickStart Europe 2021: from Covid-19 to Sustainability to Edge Penny Madsen-Jones, CBRE’s EMEA Data Center Research Director, who spoke as keynote speaker at KickStart Europe 2021, also contributed to the report. She anticipates a lot of movement in 2021, both inside the FLAP Markets - with 400 MW already in planning, 2021 looks like it will be a record year for new supply - and outside FLAP, with built-to-suit providers entering new and emerging markets. Report available, including recordings The presentation of Penny Madsen-Jones, as well as the 10 expert panel sessions held at KickStart Europe are all recorded and available for review. Check out the European Outlook report for all the sessions! The report, with key insights into the data center and digital infrastructure industry, is freely accessible here. Twenty-five companies and seventeen associations from across Europe agree to take specific steps to make data centres climate neutral by 2030 Brussels, 21 January 2021 - One year after the adoption of the European Green Deal, leading cloud infrastructure providers and data centre operators have created the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact. Twenty-five companies and 17 associations have agreed to a Self Regulatory Initiative to make data centres in Europe climate neutral by 2030. Companies joining the Pact represent the most significant industry players in cloud infrastructure and data centres in Europe. This is an historic and unprecedented commitment by an industry to proactively lead the transition to a climate neutral economy. Frans Timmermans, European Commission Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal: “Citizens across Europe use ever more technology to go about their daily lives and want this technology, also to help secure a sustainable future for people and planet. Today’s pledge from important parts of the data industry constitutes a promise to society and offers a welcome first step towards achieving our common ambitions for a smart and sustainable future.” Alban Schmutz, Chairman of CISPE (Cloud Infrastructure Services Providers in Europe): “With cloud infrastructure the backbone of the European Union’s digital economy, our industry is committed to the idea that we must all play a central role in addressing climate change. This commitment underpins a roadmap for Europe’s cloud infrastructure industry to offer climate neutral services to customers by 2030.” Apostolos Kakkos, Chairman of EUDCA (European Data Centre Association): “Data centres are the supporting pillars of the fourth industrial revolution and, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, are essential infrastructure of not only the digital economy but of the entire global economy. It is our duty to commit to a self-regulatory initiative that will help to ensure the operational availability, sustainability and the future of our industry.” The Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact establishes a Self Regulatory Initiative which has been developed in co-operation with the European Commission. It supports both the European Green Deal, which aims to make Europe the world’s first climate neutral continent by 2050, and the European Data Strategy by making EU data centres climate neutral by 2030. The Self Regulatory Initiative sets ambitious goals that will facilitate Europe’s essential transition to a greener economy. It commits signatories to ensuring their data centres are climate neutral by setting ambitious measurable targets for 2025 and 2030 in the following areas: · Prove energy efficiency with measurable targets · Purchase 100% carbon-free energy · Prioritise water conservation · Reuse and repair servers · Look for ways to recycle heat Progress towards achieving climate neutral data centres will be monitored by the European Commission twice a year. For more details on the new Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact, please visit ClimateNeutralDataCentre.net Signatories:
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Simona Romeo Senior Communication Officer, CISPE +32 492 24 98 68 sr@europa-insights.com· Fourth edition goes digital and will take place on January 21st With the turbulent year 2020 behind us, everyone is eagerly looking forward to 2021. The new year traditionally starts with the KickStart Europe Conference on January 21st. This year it will take place behind everyone’s screen at home. But with the same focus on Strategy and Networking: the digital edition will, just like last years’ edition, welcome visitors and speakers from all over Europe. On January 21st, the cloud, connectivity and data center industry will meet many investors, developers, suppliers, designers, consultants, etc. This year the networking takes place via the digital platform, where visitors can speak to new and existing business partners. The program remains focused on the latest tech trends and investments in the digital infrastructure landscape to kickstart the year. From Energy & Sustainability to Investment Trends in Europe Penny Madsen-Jones, EMEA Data Center Research at CBRE, will talk about emerging European data center markets. The C-Level Data Center panel - featuring Jasper Lankhorst (Global Switch), Matt Pullen (CyrusOne), Eric Boonstra (Iron Mountain) and Alexandra Schless (NorthC), will reflect on these trends. In the afternoon, eight panel sessions will take place around two overarching themes. First Energy & Sustainability, which addresses the role of digitization in sustainable construction, the increasing regulatory burden and the developments surrounding sustainable design & operations. We also delve into Tech & Business trends such as OCP, Edge, Predictive Maintenance and investments in emerging data center markets in Europe. For the full program, see www.kickstartconf.eu/program By the industry, for the industry Stijn Grove, initiator of KickStart Europe: “KickStart Europe kicks off the European data center year. All relevant parties in the field of digital infrastructure are present and can speak to each other in person. In addition, the latest insights for the coming year are shared. With the ultimate goal of further sustaining growth of the European digital economy. ” Grove says. The event is organized by the industry, for the industry; supported by the European data center industry associations and 20+ event partners from the ecosystem. No less than 35 different industry leaders will take the digital stage to discuss current trends and challenges. Registrations are open, go to www.kickstartconf.eu/registration for tickets! With the turbulent year of 2020 almost over, everyone is looking forward to the start of the new year! The KickStart Europe 2021 Conference is there to give the new year a great kickstart! On January 21st, the world of cloud, connectivity and data center operators meet investors, suppliers, developers, designers, consultants, and many more to discuss trends and investments in tech and digital infrastructure. The fourth edition of the Annual Strategy & Networking Conference KickStart Europe will take place virtually. Due to the current situation we are in, Kickstart Europe is transformed into an all digital event, with still the possibility to network with the community and gain insight on industry trends for the coming year! Listen to CBRE’s keynote on existing and emerging European data hubs, and to the C-level Data Center panel reflecting on those trends in the morning. In the afternoon, panel session on this year’s industry trends can be attended as well as plenty of networking opportunities. Schedule meetings with your peers all afternoon and don’t miss out on this networking opportunity right at the start of the year! Confirmed speakers are:
>>> SEE THE FULL PROGRAM HERE We have been closely monitoring the situation of Covid-19 and its impact on global travel, as we are in a period of unprecedented volatility.
Currently, preparations for the KickStart Europe 2021 edition take place as much as possible and we have great hope that we can welcome you back in Amsterdam in January, all in good health. We will share updates as soon as there is more clarity. |
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