This opening panel brings together leaders from GMCA, Tech UK, and Midas to explore how Manchester and the North can become the UK’s next hub for digital infrastructure. Leveraging insights from the Tech UK’s Local Digital Index - which shows data centre clusters, connectivity, and digital investment strength in Greater Manchester, panellists will discuss investment, innovation, and policy strategy.

Data centres are emerging as landmarks of the digital age. In this session, Benthem Crouwel Architects share their approach to designing next-gen facilities that combine technical excellence with architectural clarity and urban integration. Explore how sustainability, modularity, and design identity shape hyperscale infrastructure, and how innovative architecture can help future-proof critical systems. The discussion will highlight how form meets function in data centres that address energy, environmental, and community needs in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This session highlights how forward-thinking data centre providers and engineering firms are accelerating infrastructure delivery, without compromising performance, security, or sustainability.

With pressure mounting to reduce emissions and meet ESG goals, data centre operators are rethinking every aspect of their footprint, from energy sourcing and cooling systems to circular materials and innovations in digital twin modelling, grid-interactive power systems, and smart energy management. This panel brings together leading operators and supply chain experts to share their net-zero roadmaps, discuss shared sustainability challenges, and explore opportunities for industry-wide collaboration.

Discover how the next generation of infrastructure, including edge computing and high-speed connectivity, is being shaped by the growing demands of content creation, digital storytelling, and immersive experiences. As media formats evolve, so too must the systems that power them.

Explore what digital health and care needs from the next generation of infrastructure, and how innovation, data needs, and user experiences could drive demand for more a responsive, resilient, and localised infrastructure.

As financial institutions embrace AI, automation, and real-time data analytics, the demand for ultra-low latency, secure, and resilient infrastructure is accelerating. This panel will explore how the next generation of edge infrastructure can support the evolving needs of banks, fintechs, and financial regulators from compliance and cybersecurity to customer experience and digital innovation.

As governments grapple with rising cloud costs, data sovereignty concerns, and infrastructure resilience, a shift is emerging: treating digital infrastructure not as an operational expense, but as a capital asset. we will unpack how a capital-funded model aligns with public procurement cycles, enables long-term cost predictability, and supports sovereign infrastructure ambitions. Learn how this approach can unlock new opportunities for public-private partnerships, enable regional autonomy, and reshape the future of digital infrastructure.

This talk explores the transformative potential of scalable, data-driven AI to tackle some of society’s most urgent challenges, from personalised healthcare to sustainable agriculture. Through real-world case studies, we demonstrate how harnessing vast datasets with intelligent algorithms can unlock actionable insights—empowering earlier interventions, smarter decisions, and more equitable outcomes. Our work shows how AI, supported by robust data infrastructure and computing capabilities, enables scalable solutions that translate research into real-world impact for people and planet alike.

This interactive session explores what ‘sustainability’ really means for data centres. Drawing on insights from a study in Singapore, the discussion will reflect on how cities like Greater Manchester can build sustainable digital infrastructure. We’ll present a strategic framework shaped by five key factors: place, people, policy, investment, and innovation—along with a hierarchy of data centres and their broader impacts. Attendees are invited to consider how to balance economic, social, and environmental priorities through context-sensitive development strategies.

The explosion of AI and machine learning workloads is driving a radical rethinking of data centre design. From power density to GPU cooling, edge capacity to interconnectivity, operators must rapidly adapt their infrastructure strategies. This session will explore how the industry is evolving to meet the demands of intelligent computing.

Featuring perspectives on the next 5–10 years of edge growth in the UK.