Ventac at Kickstart Europe and Data Centre Expo: Insights from the Frontline

Last month, Ventac’s data centre team was out in force at two major European data centre events — Data Centre Expo (DCE) in London and Kickstart Europe in Amsterdam. Andrew Shannon, General Manager for the Data Centre Division and Brian Scully, Head of Commercial for Data Centres  Europe shared their insights and reflections from the events.

Andrew Shannon – Data Centre Expo

Andrew attended DCE in London as part of TechEx, focusing on UK market trends and connecting with industry leaders. He observed first-hand the rapid growth of AI and the increasing demand for data centre infrastructure:

“My goal was to learn about the latest trends in the Data Centre sector with specific focus on the UK as well as connect with leaders in the industry. The explosive growth of AI in so many facets of our economy and life in general was my biggest surprise and was truly impressive as well as the need for even more data centres to support this growth.

“Although there are challenges, such as securing planning and power, it was great to hear about the significant investment Data Centre Clients are planning to fully capitalize on the growth of AI. I was also excited about the opportunity for Ventac to be part of this growth by providing noise solutions for our Data Centre clients! With the increasing size, power, and placement of Data Centres in urban centres, the need for acoustics internally and externally will be critical from a social responsibility perspective.”

Andrew’s observations highlight the opportunity for Ventac to deliver critical noise control solutions in an era of rapidly growing and increasingly complex data centre development.

Brian Scully – Kickstart Europe

Brian attended Kickstart Europe as part of Enterprise Ireland’s Trade Mission, which brought a record 85 Irish client companies to the event. During the visit, he also attended the Enterprise Ireland Trade Mission dinner alongside Frank Feighan, TD, Minister of State for Digitalisation, eGovernment and Public Procurement.

Reflecting on the event, Brian said:

“As one of the first major data centre events of the year, Kickstart always provides a strong overview of the sector. Power constraints are no longer theoretical — they’re actively shaping site selection, timelines and customer conversations as grid availability and connection lead times become critical factors.

“At the same time, the shortage of experienced personnel across engineering, delivery and operations continues to create schedule and quality risks. While capital is still available, investors are becoming more focused on what’s truly ‘bankable’ — projects that can clearly demonstrate power certainty, delivery capability and reliable demand.”

Looking Ahead

Both Brian and Andrew’s experiences underscore Ventac’s ongoing commitment to the data centre sector across Europe. From practical challenges around power and staffing, to new opportunities driven by AI and urban data centre growth, Ventac remains focused on providing expert noise control solutions that support safe, compliant, and efficient facilities.

Data Centre Capabilities

To learn more about how Ventac continues to support the Data Centre sector, visit our services page to learn more: https://ventac.com/industrial-sectors/data-centres/