Policy and regulation are core drivers in European data centre development, impacting where capacity can be built, how quickly projects can progress, and how confident operators and investors can be in future demand. This session will compare UK and EU policy direction across key markets, focusing on the blockers and enablers that matter most for development timelines, delivery risk and capital deployment, including emerging sustainability requirements and growing public scrutiny around energy, water and local environmental impact.

The discussion will also unpack how data sovereignty is accelerating demand localisation, with enterprise and public sector buyers placing greater emphasis on data residency, operational control and geopolitical resilience. Hear how sovereign AI and Europe’s ambition to build a competitive domestic AI industry are shifting where demand sits, and what this means for the locations, asset profiles and platform strategies that will best capture the next wave of investable growth.