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Imogen Thompson appointed as ULI UK Executive Director
The Urban Land Institute (ULI) has appointed Imogen Thompson as Executive Director for ULI UK.
18 July 2024
Written by ULI UK Young Leader Committee Members: Fabio Cozzolino - Oaktree Capital, Tosin Oke - Bank of America Merrill Lynch
On 3rd July 2024, the ULI UK Young Leaders held an engaging panel discussion as part of the Thought Leadership series, focused on data centres, the emerging asset class that has in the last few years graduated from a niche sector to one of the hottest, in demand sectors. For much of its relatively nascent history, data centres have struggled to attract much attention, however, the recent pandemic proved a turning point. In a post-pandemic world, with greater hybrid and remote working as well as AI, data centres have been thrust into the spotlight.
Throughout the panel discussion we explored the main factors shaping the data centre market, the challenges the sector faces to meet the increasing global demand for data… and indeed whether data centres are the asset class of the future! The discussion was hosted by Tikehau Capital in London, expertly moderated by Jonathan Fielding (Director, Tikehau Capital) and featured distinguished industry speakers: Roelof Opperman (Founder, CogNovum), Dharman Sury (Consultant, former Head of Data Centres Development at Brookfield AM) and Richard Ludwig (Director Digital Infrastructure Investment Banking, Alantra).
To summarise some of the key points discussed on the day, we have enlisted the help of the impressive (you can judge for yourself!) Copilot (@ 0.047kWh according to The Verge)
Rising Demand
Land and Power
Geographical Shifts
Efficiency Improvements
The Future
Despite supply constraints, the outlook for the data centre market remains positive, with continued growth expected across all segments. Strategic location selection will become increasingly important, considering factors such as long-term power costs, connectivity requirements, and the regulatory environment. The trend towards self-powered sites is also emerging as a solution to overcome grid constraints.
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