Data centers: they store and process the growing masses of data being produced every day. Now, new research commissioned by Lenovo gives insight into the key factors influencing how IT leaders expect that data to influence their strategies, and how it will influence the way data centers of the future are designed, built and run.
From powering AI workloads efficiently to meeting urgent sustainability and compliance demands, the research reveals that data centers are falling short, with nearly half (45%) of IT leaders admitting their current infrastructure does not support their 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 critical 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. So how could future data centers be designed to accommodate the changing ways data needs to be managed?
Speed, sustainability and sovereignty
Lenovo’s Data Center of the Future study*, in partnership with Opinium, provides a blueprint for the key factors influencing the future design, technology and location of data centers. It comes as the data center market grows, and energy usage, sustainability and costs become critical considerations for IT decision makers in EMEA.
The first trend made apparent is that there is an urgent sustainability readiness gap, which requires a new approach. 92% of IT decision-makers prioritize technology partners who offer carbon offset services, and energy efficient innovation, 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 (such as air cooling) struggling to balance efficiency, cost and carbon reduction.
Secondly, it is clear that data sovereignty will be a critical factor for almost every IT decision maker. With 88% already viewing this as a priority, and nearly 99% expect it to remain critical 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 – adding further pressure to find the optimum location and setup.
Powering AI at scale will also determine how the data center of the future is designed to manage the masses of data being processed across EMEA. 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.
Visualizing the data center of the future
This new study gives us unparalleled insight into how data centers need to be designed to meet the requirements and challenges of organizations. 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.
As demand for compute accelerates, businesses will increasingly look to infrastructure partners who can deliver performance without compromise, and who take responsibility for reducing environmental impact. In the EMEA region, data sovereignty stands out as a particularly urgent priority, shaped by complex and extensive regional regulations alongside 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.
So how exactly could the data center of 2055 look?
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.
“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.
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 needs of their users. The designs include: