AI-ready data centers: how to integrate design, sustainability, and people

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not new – it has been evolving for over 70 years. However, recent advancements in compute power, the rise of AI applications like ChatGPT, the emergence of Agentic AI, and real-life use cases have created a perfect storm, driving unprecedented demand for data centers.

Yet, this surge presents significant challenges for operators who must rethink infrastructure to keep up. A holistic approach to design is now essential to overcome operational inertia and ensure scalability.

I recently chaired a panel at Data Centre World 2025, where industry leaders Niklas Lindqvist, Nordics General Manager at Onnec and Stefan Nilsson, Sales & Marketing Manager at Conapto shared their insights on the future of AI-ready data centers. Here are some key takeaways from our discussion.

Designing AI-Ready Data Centers

AI investment is accelerating, but traditional data center infrastructure is struggling to keep up. Unlike conventional IT workloads, AI ...