Data Centers Must Evolve, EMEA IT Leaders Say

Data center design must evolve to future-proof businesses across EMEA, according to new research from Opinium, commissioned by Lenovo. From powering AI workloads efficiently to meeting urgent sustainability and compliance demands, traditional data center designs are falling short, with nearly half (46%) of IT leaders admitting their current infrastructure does not support energy or carbon-reduction goals.

At the same time, an overwhelming 99% of IT and C-level decision makers in the region say data sovereignty will be important to how data is collected, stored, and processed in the years ahead. And while AI continues to accelerate data usage across industries, many organizations are still struggling to implement the technology effectively or power it sustainably, highlighting the growing gap between digital ambition and infrastructure reality.

92% of IT decision-makers prioritize technology partners who reduce energy use and carbon footprint, yet only 46% say their current data center design supports sustainability goals. This gap underscores the growing environmental pressures of AI, automation, and exponential data growth, with traditional cooling systems struggling to balance efficiency, cost, and carbon reduction.

With 88% of IT decision-makers already viewing data sovereignty as a priority and nearly 99% expecting it to remain important over the next five years, it’s clear that compliance and control over where data resides will define future data center design. At the same time, 94% highlight low latency as a key requirement today and in the years ahead, driven by the growth of real-time applications and edge computing.

90% of IT decision-makers believe AI will significantly increase organizational data usage in the next decade, and 62% expect AI and automation to have the greatest impact on IT strategy. Yet despite the promise, 41% admit their organization is not prepared to integrate AI efficiently.

“The data center of the future will be defined by how effectively it can scale for AI, deliver on sustainability targets, and operate with maximum energy efficiency,” said Simone Larsson, Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo. “As demand for compute accelerates, customers will increasingly look to infrastructure partners who can deliver performance without compromise, and who take responsibility for reducing environmental impact. In EMEA, data sovereignty stands out as a particularly urgent priority, shaped by complex regional regulations and heightened scrutiny from CIOs and C-suites alike. Businesses must act now to align their infrastructure with these rising expectations, because preparing for the future starts with the choices they make today.”

Lenovo has worked with engineering firm AKT II and architects Mamou-Mani to consider how data centers could look in 30 years, as their importance to our personal and working lives continues to grow and energy demand increases. The concepts take the rack server data center model and leverage water cooling technology to boost their sustainability, while also making use of natural resources, disused spaces, and unexpected locations to solve the challenges and meet the needs of their users.

All of the concepts would require and have been designed to incorporate liquid cooling technology to address the issue of heat in data centers and the limitations of traditional air cooling. Liquid cooling uses less energy than air cooling, increasing the efficiency and sustainability of the concepts.

“As architects and engineers, we have a responsibility to make data centers better, not just bigger. The Data Center of the Future project combines the evolving needs of businesses with practical pathways, from reusing mines and bunkers to high-altitude cloud modules, urban data villages, and data spas that pair server heat with public amenities”, said James Cheung, Partner at Mamou-Mani. “Based on Lenovo’s liquid cooling technology, we show how natural resources and existing locations can reduce overheads and return energy to communities. While we don’t have a crystal ball to show exactly what the future holds for data centers, this playbook provides a glimpse of concepts that could move from ideas to pilots, faster and with less risk.”