10 November, 2025
Hilton London Tower BridgeLondon, UKPreliminary Agenda
Provisional Start & End Times:
November 10th: 7am-6pm
General Themes
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An Introduction To PE In The Data Centre Industry (virtual-October 6, 11:30est)
- Are data centre investments best classified as private equity cash flow deals, real estate plays, or infrastructure assets?
- What are the preferred financing routes for high-quality data centre assets?
- Exploring the use of project finance structures and securitised instruments (ABS/CMBS)
- How does power availability influence investment underwriting?
- Is the market ready for increased activity in secondary locations?
- Assessing the impact of supply chain constraints on development and operations
- Understanding the sources of capital and the distinctions between them
- Examining the evolving dynamics of demand in the sector
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Economy & Demand Drivers: What is Driving Demand Across Europe in the Current Environment?
- If AI & Power are #1 & #2, what else is on top of the list?
- Supply chain bottlenecks and infrastructure constraints across European markets
- Exploring the impact of hybrid working models and digital transformation
- The European Perspective: AI and Compute Demand vs. The Deep Seek Fallout
- How Are European data centres navigating grid constraints and sustainability requirements?
- Navigating regulatory landscapes across different jurisdictions
- Current capacity vs. 10-year growth forecasts
- Cost inflation analysis: Construction, power, and operational expenditures
- Comparing tier 1 and emerging European data Centre markets
- Investment and M&A trends: European capital flows and cross-border transactions
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How Are Investors in the European Market Valuing Data Centres, JVs & M&A Opportunities?
- Moving beyond EBITDA: Focus on power, land, and development potential
- Valuing grid access, renewables, and permits in constrained markets
- Structuring JVs between operators, infrastructure funds, and institutional capital
- Trends in M&A: Who’s buying and what are they targeting?
- Impact of ESG: How sustainability drives valuation premiums
- FLAP-D hubs vs. emerging European markets
- Pricing in geopolitics, energy security, and regulatory shifts
- Future-ready assets: Valuing scalability and AI-readiness
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How are Infrastructure and Power Constraints Impacting Deal Timelines and Valuations?
- Navigating approval bottlenecks across European jurisdictions
- How delays in power and permits affect IRRs and pricing
- Securing early grid access and managing planning complexity
- Structuring deals to handle uncertain timelines
- Rising demand for brownfield sites with secured power
- How incumbents vs. new entrants tackle approval hurdles
- Comparing approval timelines and investor sentiment by country
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Hyperscaler Demand and Tenant Dynamics: Will The Market Growth Continue?
- Where will we see growth in this part of the market?
- Understanding the evolving needs of hyperscalers, cloud providers, and enterprise tenants
- What is the financial strength? Is new capital coming in?
- Exploring AI-Driven demand factors and technological evolution
- How are you managing risk with hyperscale as a sole tenant?
- Capital expenditure trends: Are you looking to self-build?
- What is your power strategy?
- Using private equity, strategic partnerships and the rest of the capital stack
- What is your exit strategy?
- Consolidation trends and the M&A landscape
- Do you have a mega campus strategy?
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Navigating the Capital Stack: Financing Strategies, Exit Options & Deal Structures
- Joint ventures vs. equity types: Key differences in waterfalls, promotes, and deal terms in Europe
- Current trends and a future outlook for exit strategies
- Assessing power, renewables, and grid readiness before investing
- Cap rates and financing: Single vs. multi-tenant colocation facilities
- Land buys, construction loans, and stabilized asset deals in major EU markets
- How are foreign equity and EU pension funds investing in data centers?
- Equity needs for build-to-suit, speculative, stabilized, and retrofit projects
- Performance benchmarks and return expectations by asset type and region
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Site Selection, Model & Criteria? Comparing Expensive Primary Markets, Secondary And Edge Markets
- Comparing energy markets: Grid limits vs. renewable access
- Key site must-haves vs. nice-to-haves under local planning rules
- Aligning data centre use cases with network architecture: How application demands shape site and connectivity decisions
- Land first or wait for power and zoning?
- Community engagement and handling local pushback
- Weighing FLAP-D costs vs. emerging markets when latency allows
- Due diligence: Sustainability rules, flood risk, and power security
- Navigating energy pricing, renewables, and market complexity
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Legal and Tax Considerations for Structuring Deals Across Multiple EU Jurisdictions
- Legal structures: SPVs, holding companies, and branches for EU portfolios
- Managing transfer pricing, withholding tax, and PE risks
- FDI screening, competition rules, and sector-specific regulations
- Balancing local control with centralized decision-making
- Cross-border VAT on construction, equipment, and operations
- Workforce structuring: Labor laws, works councils, and transfers
- Drafting flexible master agreements for multiple jurisdictions
- Exit-ready ownership structures for future divestments
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ESG and Sustainable Data Centre Development: Net-Zero Commitments and Carbon Accounting
- Meeting ESG goals: Carbon, water, and green certifications
- Aligning with investor-led net-zero targets
- Securing green energy: PPAs, on-site, and grid solutions
- Tackling intermittency and grid limits in the UK/EU
- Cooling innovations and water-saving in dense environments
- ESG in investment screening and asset valuation
- Avoiding greenwashing and reputational risk
- Circularity as a competitive edge in development
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Navigating Regulatory and Planning Hurdles in UK and European Data Centre Development
- Efforts to cut wait times and fast-track priority projects
- Preparing for 9–12 month pre-application timelines
- National goals vs. local resistance and impacts on project speed
- Managing EU-wide zoning, environmental, and energy rules
- Key takeaways from the UK’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill
- ESG criteria in planning approvals
- Will data centres gain full recognition as critical infrastructure?
- Navigating GDPR, the Data Governance Act, and localization rules
- Data sovereignty’s impact on cost, innovation, and market access
- What the 2025 EuroStack framework means for strategy and investment
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Driving Operational Efficiency Through Technology in Data Centres
- AI for energy optimization, failure prediction, and automation
- Preparing for AI/HPC with high-density and liquid cooling
- Modular builds and prefabs to speed deployment and cut labor costs
- Beyond PUE: New metrics and real-time monitoring tools
- Smart grids and dynamic load management for cost and stability
- Robotics, drones, and automation in security and maintenance
- Digital twins for simulation, monitoring, and performance tuning
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Risk Management and Insurance Strategies for Data Centre Assets
- Managing risks from outages, cooling failures, and equipment issues
- Staying compliant with GDPR and UK data laws
- Insurer focus on environmental resilience
- Insurance for build-phase delays, overruns, and contractor defaults
- Covering revenue loss and SLA penalties from outages
- Using W&I, title, and liability insurance to de-risk deals
- Custom insurance solutions across portfolios and regions
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From Build to Exit: Unlocking Value Through Strategic Exits and Secondary Market Activity
- What’s working in today’s market?
- Exit options: Trade sales, IPOs, recaps, mergers
- Impact of macro trends, rates, and hyperscaler demand on timing
- Secondary deals: Who’s buying, what’s trading, pricing trends
- REIT conversion vs. public listing: Pros and cons
- Sale-leasebacks to unlock capital and retain control
- Legal, tax, and regulatory factors in cross-border exits
- Best practices for exit-ready structuring and governance
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Preparing Data Centres for AI and High-Density Compute Demands
- How AI, machine learning, and HPC are reshaping data centre design
- Adapting to 30–100kW+ rack densities
- Liquid cooling and thermal innovations
- Securing stable, scalable power for AI clusters
- Modular builds, zoned cooling, and AI-optimized layouts
- High-density impact on underwriting and asset value
- Balancing AI energy use with ESG and regulatory demands
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Corporate Strategy: Comparing Different Models, Markets and Exits
- Business models: Hyperscale, colocation, and edge
- Cross-border growth: Navigating EU regulations and entry strategies
- ESG’s impact on investment and valuation
- M&A trends and future consolidation targets in Europe
- Capital structures: REITs, private equity, and infra funds
- Exit options: IPOs, sales, and recapitalisations
- Balancing core hubs vs. emerging markets
- PPAs, renewables, and grid deals as strategic advantages
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Private Equity Users Panel: The Senior Data Centre Owner Plenary
- Partnering with PE to scale while retaining control
- Brownfield vs. greenfield growth across Europe
- Shifting multiples: Power limits, AI demand, market trends
- Long-term value beyond typical PE timelines
- Balancing returns, customer needs, and community impact
- Securing renewables and hitting ESG goals
- Planning for IPOs, strategic sales, or secondary buyouts
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Beyond FLAP-D: Unlocking Value in Europe’s Emerging Data Centre Markets
- Spotting high-growth markets in Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe
- Comparing power, fiber, and land in emerging vs. core hubs
- Secondary markets: Higher yields and new opportunities
- Navigating planning, incentives, and data sovereignty rules
- Managing complex permitting across jurisdictions
- Building local talent and supply chains
- AI, cloud, and enterprise demand driving expansion
- Partnering with governments and utilities to enable growth
- Risk-adjusted returns: Core vs. emerging markets
- Structuring investments to manage risk and maximize upside
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Is There Enough Debt? Assessing the Debt Markets in a Volatile Rate Environment
- Financing strategies: Shovel-ready vs. construction-phase projects
- How lenders are pricing risk amid rising costs and rate uncertainty
- Where quality assets are securing debt in Europe today
- Real estate vs. infrastructure debt: Key differences in approach
- Credit ratings and DSCR: Impacts on financing terms
- Comparing terms: Construction-to-perm, stabilized, and refinancing across EU markets
- When and how to hedge interest rate exposure
- ABS market outlook: Is there room to grow, or are alternatives more viable?
- Sale-leasebacks: Unlocking capital while retaining control
- Debt, equity, or preferred: Where’s the value for investors and owners in today’s market?
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Critical Lease Structures, End-User Control & Operational Insights for PE-Owned Data Centres
- Is your lease financeable—and does it protect your interests?
- Yield on cost: What counts in powered shell deals?
- Tenant purchase options and transfers: When and how?
- Landlord guarantees: What’s covered and what credit is required?
- Lease types: Powered shell vs. turnkey vs. NNN—who handles capex and ops?
- Force majeure: Managing SLA and procurement delays
- Are colocation leases offering free rent today?
- SLAs vs. uncontrollable risks: Where’s the line?
- New tenant types: GPU, HPC, quantum, AI, and edge providers
- Operational and compliance risks in a changing tech landscape
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Powering the Future: Integrating Energy Innovation into the Data Centre Investment Landscape
- How are corporate power purchase agreements evolving and what do investors and operators need to know?
- Navigating the legal, financial, and operational complexities of PPAs and heat offtake agreements
- Addressing the thermal challenges of high-density racks and the latest in liquid and immersion cooling
- How can data centres participate in grid services through battery storage and backup assets?
- Turning waste heat into a revenue stream or community asset
- Understanding the impact of energy price fluctuations and policy changes on long-term data centre planning
- Opportunities around Hyperscale vs. EDGE
- Balancing uptime requirements with sustainable energy strategies and infrastructure investments
- Investor Perspectives: What private equity and infrastructure funds are looking for in energy-forward data centre assets
- Building partnerships that enable scalable, low-carbon, and grid-friendly data centre developments