The event brought together key public and private sector European experts and thought leaders to discuss innovation in public sector digital infrastructure and energy efficiency. Among the topics, which were discussed were innovation procurement, data centre energy efficiency, and environmental sustainability. The workshop welcomed a wide range of participants: policy makers and senior government civil servants from the UK and from abroad, including representatives of the European Parliament, ICT executives, IT managers, policy makers, energy managers, data centre managers, procurement professionals and researchers. Animated discussion highlighted the scope of the change, which has taken place in the data centre industry.<\/p>\n
Workshop participants reflected on the lessons from the narrowly techno-functionalist past of the techno-sciences and information technology. \u00a0\u2018A data centre is there to produce data, not to be green\u2019 \u2013 initially this had been the thinking of the industry experts and technology managers. At that time issues, such as energy efficiency, renewable energy utilization and renewable energy production had not been seen as a key business priority. However in the data centre science and technology field, five years is a very long time. Now ideas that a data centre should not only be increasing its energy efficiency, but also producing renewable energy, have become some of the leading design and management considerations. The industry has recognized that it needs to meet the rising sustainability expectation of the society and it is making efforts to address them.<\/p>\n
The discussion about the desirable future goals was positive and optimistic. The participants were aware that data centres include not only technology and software, but also the human relations both within the centres, as well as these with the broader society. Lessons learned were shared both in terms of technological change, and with regards to the governing of this change. A valuable governance lesson was presented by a senior government official, who advised: \u2018Do not tell the people what to do, but invite them to co-develop the future\u2019.<\/p>\n<\/div>
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