8 September 2027 Sydney

Building the Physical Infrastructure Powering Australia's AI Future

Design | Engineering | Procurement | Construction | Commissioning

High-density AI infrastructure
Power and electrical systems
Liquid cooling
Design and engineering
Construction capacity
Long-lead equipment
Procurement and supply chains
Modularisation and prefabrication
Project controls
Construction productivity
Specialist workforce
Digital engineering
Commissioning and operational readiness

About the Summit

Australia’s data centre boom now has to be built.

Australia is entering its biggest data centre construction cycle yet, driven by AI, cloud and hyperscale investment. The challenge now is delivery: building faster, designing for greater density, securing power and equipment, and developing the specialist capability needed to deliver increasingly complex facilities.

The Data Centre Construction Summit brings together the leaders designing, engineering, procuring, constructing and commissioning the country’s next generation of digital infrastructure.

Design Engineering Construction Power Cooling Commissioning

Built on an established data centre community.

From the team behind the Data Centre & AI Leaders Summit Australia and New Zealand, this new Summit takes the conversation to the next critical stage: delivery. Connecting the data centre leaders driving growth with the contractors, engineers and specialists responsible for designing and building what comes next.

Industry Leaders

100 +

Speakers

0 +

Partners

0 +

Interactive Roundtables

0 +

Why Partner?

Meet the people building Australia's data centres.

Put your organisation in front of the people influencing how projects are designed, specified, procured, constructed and commissioned.

Be Heard

Demonstrate Your Expertise

Position your expertise alongside the leaders solving real data centre design, construction and delivery challenges.

Lead

Own a Delivery Challenge

Lead the conversation around power, cooling, modularisation, digital delivery, commissioning or another critical project challenge.

Influence

Influence Specification

Engage with engineers, design, procurement and project leaders while critical equipment and delivery decisions are being shaped.

Connect

Meet the Delivery Market

Connect with the developers, contractors, engineers and project teams responsible for major data centre developments.

Demonstrate

Showcase Your Solutions

Put your equipment, technology and capability in front of the people responsible for specifying and deploying it.

Build

Build Relationships Earlier

Meet customers earlier in the project lifecycle and build relationships across multiple stages of delivery.

Where Do You Fit?

Partnership opportunities span the complete data centre delivery chain.

Architecture & Design Engineering & MEP Construction & Contracting Power & Electrical Infrastructure Cooling & Mechanical OEMs & Equipment Modular & Prefabrication Construction Technology Digital Engineering & BIM Project Controls & Planning Supply Chain & Logistics Commissioning & Testing Controls & Automation Mission-Critical Services

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Australia's Marketplace for Data Centre Project Delivery

The Summit brings the data centre delivery chain together

Design → Engineer → Specify → Procure → Build → Commission

Design & Engineer

Designing for AI

High-density compute, GPU infrastructure and the changing requirements shaping next-generation facilities.

Power, Cooling & Critical Systems

Electrical, mechanical, structural, cooling and controls infrastructure engineered for AI-scale densities.

Future-Proofing & Reliability

Designing for tomorrow's compute without compromising resilience, flexibility or speed to market.

Who Attends

Design & Engineering Leaders

Procure & Supply

Critical Equipment

Transformers, switchgear, UPS, generators, chillers and other long-lead infrastructure sitting on the critical path.

Supply-Chain Resilience

Navigating global manufacturing constraints and strengthening local supplier capacity.

Procurement at Scale

Early procurement, standardisation and closer collaboration between developers, contractors and OEMs.

Who Attends

Procurement & Supply Leaders

Build & Deliver

Construction at Hyperscale

Delivering larger, denser and more complex facilities while maintaining programme, quality and safety.

Modularisation & Prefabrication

DfMA, modular MEP, skids and off-site manufacturing accelerating construction.

Productivity & Digital Delivery

Project controls, sequencing, workforce productivity, BIM, digital twins, AI, automation and reality capture.

Who Attends

Construction & Delivery Leaders

Commission & Activate

Commissioning at Scale

Integrated Systems Testing, energisation, controls, cooling validation and failure testing.

Operational Readiness

Connecting design, construction and commissioning for a successful transition into live operations.

Protecting the Final 10%

Bringing commissioning forward to reduce late-stage delays, rework and handover risk.

Who Attends

Commissioning & Activation Leaders

For the leaders responsible for turning data centre plans into operational capacity, this is the room to be in.

What You'll Experience

Main Stage

Conference

The strategies behind faster, smarter data centre delivery.

Hear from the owners, developers, contractors, engineers and supply-chain leaders delivering Australia's next generation of data centres.

Explore the issues defining project delivery, from AI-ready design and high-density infrastructure to procurement, construction productivity, digital delivery and commissioning.

Real Projects

Project Deep Dives

Go inside the projects being delivered now.

Move beyond theory with practical case studies examining real data centre projects, delivery models and construction challenges.

Hear what worked, what didn't, where projects encountered problems and what delivery teams would do differently next time.

Participate

Delivery Roundtables

12 problems slowing down data centre delivery. One room built to solve them.

Join smaller, interactive discussions focused on the industry's biggest delivery constraints, from long-lead equipment and workforce capacity to commissioning, cooling, project controls and supply-chain bottlenecks.

Compare approaches, share lessons and work through challenges directly with your peers.

Discover

Exhibition

Meet the supply chain behind the build.

Discover the specialist technologies, equipment and expertise required to take projects from design through to commissioning.

Connect with providers across power, cooling, electrical infrastructure, modular solutions, construction technology, controls and mission-critical services.

Connect

Networking

Meet the people responsible for getting projects delivered.

Build relationships across the complete project delivery chain, including Data Centre Owners & Developers, Project Directors, Construction Leaders, Engineers, Contractors, Procurement Leaders, OEMs and Commissioning Specialists.

Partnership opportunities

Apply to speak

OUR PARTNERS

See all 2026 partners

2026 Speakers

Ross Delaney

Chief Executive Officer, Datacentre220

Matt Neil

Director Data Centres, Datacom

Charlene Furter

Associate Director Data Centre, Construction & Procurement, Turner & Townsend

Peter Skipper

Director, Data Centre Operations, New Zealand, DCI Data Centres

Nabeel Mahmood

Managing Director, Nomad Futurist (USA)

John Clarke

Executive General Manager Future Grid, Transpower

Mike Hopkins

Chief Executive Officer, Carbon and Energy Professionals New Zealand

Sam Kivi

Chief Technology Officer, Grid Share

VIEW ALL SPEAKERS

ABOUT THE SUMMIT

Australia’s data centre market is moving into a new phase.

For much of the past decade, the industry conversation has focused on investment, market growth, site selection, cloud demand and development pipelines.

AI is changing the equation. Projects are getting larger. Power requirements are increasing. Rack densities are rising. Cooling systems are evolving. Construction schedules are accelerating. And global competition for specialist equipment, engineering capability and skilled labour is intensifying.

The challenge is increasingly not simply what should be built/ It is how do we actually deliver it?

Successfully building the next generation of data centres requires the industry to solve increasingly complex questions around:

high-density AI infrastructure
power and electrical systems
liquid cooling
design and engineering
construction capacity
long-lead equipment
procurement and supply chains
modularisation and prefabrication
project controls
construction productivity
specialist workforce
digital engineering
commissioning and operational readiness

The Data Centre Construction Summit Australia 2027 is where the entire project delivery ecosystem comes together to address these challenges.

Not simply to discuss Australia’s data centre boom. But to build it.

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Australia’s Marketplace for Data Centre Project Delivery

AI Is Changing the Equation

Behind every new data centre sits an enormous ecosystem of developers, contractors, engineers, equipment manufacturers, technology providers and specialist delivery partners. Successfully delivering these projects requires collaboration across the complete project lifecycle.

The Value Chain

Successfully delivering these projects requires collaboration across the complete project lifecycle. The Summit brings that entire value chain together:

DESIGN
ENGINEER
PROCURE
BUILD
COMMISSION

ABOUT THE EVENT

Australia is entering the biggest data centre construction cycle in its history.

AI, cloud and hyperscale investment are driving billions of dollars into new digital
infrastructure — creating unprecedented demand for engineering, construction, power,
cooling, equipment and specialist delivery capability.
But investment is only the beginning.

Now Australia has to build it.

How do we deliver projects faster? How do we design for AI-scale density? How do we
secure power and long-lead equipment? Can modularisation and prefabrication transform
delivery? Where will the specialist workforce come from? And how do we successfully
commission increasingly complex facilities?

The Data Centre Construction Summit Australia 2027 brings together the people
responsible for designing, engineering, procuring, constructing and commissioning
Australia’s next generation of hyperscale, AI and mission-critical infrastructure.

Partnership opportunities

WHY NOW?

Australia's Data Centre Pipeline Is Becoming a Construction Pipeline

Billions of dollars of digital infrastructure are moving through planning and development towards physical delivery. That creates a rapidly expanding market for contractors, engineers, equipment, technology and specialist construction capability.

The opportunity is no longer simply about attracting data centre investment. It is about successfully delivering it.

AI Is Changing the Building

AI infrastructure is forcing engineers and developers to rethink traditional data centre design. Higher rack densities, GPU clusters and liquid cooling are changing electrical architecture, cooling, heat rejection, structural requirements, controls and commissioning. Facilities being designed today must accommodate technologies that may change dramatically during their operating life.

Power Is Becoming the Critical Path

Power availability is only part of the problem. Data centre projects increasingly require major substations, transformers, switchgear, UPS systems, generators, BESS and complex energisation programs. For project teams, electrical infrastructure is becoming a fundamental construction and scheduling challenge.

Time-to-Market Is Becoming a Competitive Advantage

Hyperscalers, AI companies and developers need infrastructure faster. That is driving greater interest in standardisation, modular construction, prefabricated MEP, off-site manufacturing, DfMA and earlier contractor and supplier involvement.

Global Demand Is Putting Pressure on Supply Chains

Australian projects compete globally for transformers, switchgear, generators, cooling equipment and other mission-critical infrastructure. Procurement decisions are moving earlier in the project lifecycle and relationships with equipment manufacturers are becoming increasingly strategic.

Australia Needs More Mission-Critical Capability

Data centre development is competing with energy, transport, Defence and other infrastructure markets for engineers, trades, project managers and specialist technical expertise. Scaling Australia's data centre pipeline will require the industry to develop a significantly deeper mission-critical workforce.

Construction Is Becoming More Industrialised

Modularisation, prefabrication and off-site manufacturing offer the potential to improve quality, increase productivity and reduce delivery times.

The Industry Needs an Annual Marketplace

As the construction pipeline grows, Australia needs a dedicated meeting place for the people responsible for delivering it.

That is the role of the Data Centre Construction Summit Australia.

Partner with us

2027 EVENT THEMES

01 / DESIGN

Designing for AI How high-density compute, GPU infrastructure and changing technology requirements are reshaping the physical facility. High-Density Cooling Direct-to-chip liquid cooling, heat rejection, water, HVAC and the infrastructure required to support AI-scale densities. Future-Proofing How do you design today's facility for tomorrow's compute?

02 / ENGINEER

Power & Electrical Infrastructure Grid connections, substations, transformers, switchgear, UPS, generators, BESS and energisation. Mission-Critical Engineering Integrating electrical, mechanical, structural, cooling and controls systems into increasingly complex facilities. Engineering for Reliability Designing infrastructure that can meet accelerated construction schedules without compromising resilience.

03 / PROCURE

Long-Lead Equipment Managing transformers, switchgear, generators, UPS, chillers and other equipment sitting on the critical path. Supply-Chain Resilience Competing for global manufacturing capacity while building stronger Australian supplier relationships. Procurement at Scale Standardisation, early procurement, framework agreements and new relationships between developers, contractors and OEMs.

04 / BUILD

Construction at Hyperscale How do we successfully deliver increasingly large and complex facilities while maintaining quality, safety and schedule? Modularisation & Prefabrication Modular MEP, DfMA, skids, off-site manufacturing and the industrialisation of data centre construction. Construction Productivity Better sequencing, project controls, workforce utilisation and new approaches to delivering more with constrained resources. Digital Delivery BIM, digital twins, AI, reality capture, predictive scheduling and technology-enabled construction.

05 / COMMISSION

Commissioning at Scale Integrated Systems Testing, controls, energisation, cooling validation and failure scenarios. Operational Readiness Connecting design, construction and commissioning to ensure successful handover. The Final 10% How do we prevent commissioning from becoming the schedule shock at the end of the project?

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WHAT NOT TO MISS

EXHIBITION AREA

The Exhibition Area brings together leading solution providers and senior decision-makers. Explore the latest innovations, discover new partners, and connect with the people driving the data centre sector forward.

View floorplan

ROUNDTABLES

Small, interactive, and peer-led. These focused sessions create space for open discussion, testing new ideas, sharing lessons learned, and tackling challenges head-on with industry peers.

View Topics

NETWORKING EVENTS

Take part on Networking Drinks and VIP breakfasts and lunches run by our partners.

Host a networking event

CONFERENCE

The entire conference convenes in a unified forum to look at the macro drivers, policies, strategies and partnerships needed to transform Australia's Data Centre sector.

Request 2026 program

WHO ATTENDS

The Summit is designed for senior professionals involved across the entire data centre project delivery lifecycle.

Data Centre Owners & Developers

Project Directors, Construction Directors, Development Directors, Heads of Delivery, Design Directors, Engineering Directors, Procurement Leaders and Commissioning Leaders.

Construction

Main contractors, specialist contractors, Construction Managers, Project Managers, Site Managers, Services Managers, Commercial Managers and Planning Managers.

Engineering & Design

MEP engineers, electrical and mechanical engineers, architects, structural engineers, civil engineers, Design Managers, Digital Engineering Leaders and BIM Managers.

Project & Cost Management

Project managers, quantity surveyors, cost consultants, project controls, planners and commercial advisors.

Power & Electrical Infrastructure

Utilities, electrical contractors, transformer and switchgear manufacturers, UPS, generators, energy storage, substations and power systems.

Cooling & Mechanical

Liquid cooling, HVAC, chillers, heat rejection, water infrastructure, mechanical systems and controls.

Technology & Digital Delivery

BIM, digital twins, construction software, AI, project controls, reality capture, automation and robotics.

Commissioning & Specialist Services

commissioning, testing, controls, fire, security, cabling, logistics, workforce, safety and specialist mission-critical services.

Case Studies

Project Deep Dives & AI Factories

Move beyond generic presentations and hear directly from the teams delivering major Australian data centre developments. Each session brings together the Developer + Contractor + Engineer trio.

Design strategy & construction methodology
Power integration & logistics sequencing
Modularisation & commissioning lessons learned

Interactive

12 Delivery Roundtables

Practical roundtable conversations addressing the biggest bottlenecks in data centre delivery. Attendees choose two 30-minute discussion rotations:

Long-lead electrical equipment
Liquid cooling constructibility
Mission-critical skills & workforce
Modular MEP & off-site build
BIM to digital twin source of truth
Managing cost escalation & safety

DCCS DELIVERY ROUNDTABLES

Twelve Problems Slowing Down Data Centre Delivery — And How Do We Solve Them?

Move beyond presentations and participate in practical conversations with peers confronting the same project challenges.

Long-lead electrical equipment

How do we de-risk supply and keep projects on schedule?

Liquid Cooling

What does good look like for design, delivery and operations?

Mission-Critical Skills

How do we attract, develop and retain the talent we need?

Modular MEP

Can modular delivery accelerate timelines without compromise?

BIM to Digital Twin

How do we turn models into measurable operational value?

Construction Productivity

What practical steps lift productivity on site?

Commissioning AI Infrastructure

How do we test, validate and ramp up at speed?

Project Controls

How do we keep complex programs on time and on budget?

Cost Escalation

How do we manage cost risk in a volatile market?

Zero Harm at Speed

How do we maintain safety without slowing delivery?

Resilient Supply Chains

How do we build greater resilience into our supply chains?

Beyond 100kW

What’s next for ultra-high density and future-ready design?

Attendees choose two discussions from topics including:

Long-lead electrical equipment: how early is early enough?
Liquid cooling: making the engineering constructible
Mission-critical skills: where will Australia’s workforce come from?
Modular MEP: what should we build off-site?
BIM to digital twin: creating one source of truth
Construction productivity: delivering more with the same workforce
Commissioning high-density AI infrastructure
Project controls at hyperscale
Managing cost escalation
Zero Harm at speed: safety and accelerated delivery
Global demand, Australian projects: building resilient supply chains
Beyond 100kW: future-proofing today’s designs

Two 30-minute rotations give attendees the opportunity to participate in the conversations most relevant to their projects.

THE AUSTRALIAN DATA CENTRE DELIVERY PRIORITIES

Turning Conversation Into Action
DCCS is intended to create more than a one-day conversation.
Insights from the conference, project case studies and Delivery Roundtables will contribute to:

THE AUSTRALIAN DATA CENTRE DELIVERY PRIORITIES 2027

A post-event report identifying the most important actions required to improve Australia’s ability to design, engineer, construct and commission data centre infrastructure at scale.

Identify the problems. Share the solutions. Accelerate delivery.

Registration is now open!

Summit ticket

$1795

Access to all conference sessions
Access to networking opportunities
Session recordings and presentation slides

WHY ATTEND?

Understand what's actually being built.

Get closer to the projects, construction pipeline and delivery models shaping Australia's next generation of data centres.

Learn from the teams delivering the projects.

Hear directly from developers, contractors and engineers about what is working, where problems are emerging and what they would do differently.

Prepare for AI infrastructure.

Understand how high-density compute and liquid cooling are changing engineering and construction.

Build faster.

Explore modularisation, prefabrication, DfMA, standardisation and new delivery models capable of reducing time-to-market.

Protect your program.

Understand how leading project teams are addressing long-lead equipment, supply-chain constraints, project controls, cost escalation and workforce shortages.

Harness technology.

See how BIM, digital twins, AI, reality capture and automation are transforming project delivery.

Solve problems with your peers.

Participate in the DCCS Delivery Roundtables and compare approaches to the industry's biggest delivery challenges.

Meet the supply chain.

Connect with the specialist organisations providing the power, cooling, equipment, technology and expertise required to deliver the pipeline.

Build your network.

Meet Australia's growing community of data centre Project Directors, engineers, construction leaders and commissioning specialists.

EXPLORE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

WHY PARTNER?

Meet the People Building Australia's AI Infrastructure

Every new data centre creates enormous demand across engineering, construction, electrical infrastructure, cooling, equipment, technology and specialist services.

DCCS Australia gives solution providers direct access to the people influencing how projects are designed, specified, procured, constructed and commissioned.

Build your pipeline.

Connect with developers, contractors and project teams responsible for major upcoming developments.

Influence specification.

Engage with engineers, Design Managers, Procurement Leaders and Project Directors before critical decisions are locked in.

Demonstrate your expertise.

Use technical content, case studies and Roundtables to show how your organisation solves real project challenges.

Showcase your solutions.

Put your equipment, technology and capability in front of the people responsible for deploying it.

Own a delivery challenge.

Align your brand with power, cooling, modularisation, digital engineering, commissioning or another critical area of project delivery.

Build long-term relationships.

Meet customers earlier in the project lifecycle and across multiple stages of delivery.

EXPLORE PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

THE EVENT FOR AUSTRALIA'S DATA CENTRE BUILDERS

Australia’s AI future will not be created by capital alone.

It has to be designed.
It has to be engineered.
It has to be powered.
It has to be cooled.
It has to be constructed.
And it has to work.

Partnership opportunities

2026 CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Wednesday 12th August 2026

08:00

Conference registration and coffee

08:55

Welcome remarks

Alina Melikhova, Conference Director, FuturePlace

09:00

Chair’s welcome

Setting the scene: demand, capacity and policy momentum shaping New Zealand’s data-centre expansion

Andrew Green, Director, AG Squared Consulting

REALISING THE NEW ZEALAND DATA CENTRE OPPORTUNITY

09:10

INTERNATIONAL KEYNOTE ADDRESS: Embracing disruption: The global outlook and the future of data centres

This extended keynote explores where the industry stands today, the challenges ahead, and the shifts required to unlock the next wave of growth in New Zealand and worldwide. Bring your questions.

Making technology accessible and clarifying the role of AI
The current state of the data centre industry
What is not working and what must improve
Where we are heading and what the future could look like
Disruption across emerging frontiers including nuclear energy, immersion cooling, sustainable power, space exploration, fusion vs fission, and quantum computing
How these global drivers will shape the future of New Zealand’s data centre industry

Nabeel Mahmood, Managing Director, Nomad Futurist (USA)

09:35

PANEL: Charting the future: What’s next for New Zealand’s data centre industry?

New Zealand’s accelerating data centre build-out is putting major pressure on teams delivering large-scale facilities, where speed, resilience, and certainty are critical. Construction partners must navigate land constraints, seismic requirements, labour shortages, and supply chain complexity while meeting the rising expectations of hyperscalers and major enterprise clients. This session brings together leading contractors to discuss how they are scaling delivery, managing risk across complex builds, and adapting procurement, cooling strategies, and compliance to support the next wave of large-scale development.

New Zealand’s competitive position within Asia Pacific
Balancing expansion with sustainability, energy, and security
Delivering reliable, scalable, and efficient power and cooling
Meeting demand driven by AI and digital transformation

Ross Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Datacentre220

Matt Neil, Director Data Centres, Datacom

Sam Excell, Head of Infrastructure Partners, Chorus

Moderated by:

Nabeel Mahmood, Managing Director, Nomad Futurist (USA)

10:10

From centralised cloud to regional edge: How connectivity is redefining NZ data centre strategy

Power dominates most data centre planning conversations, but the right fibre connectivity is just as critical in determining which sites are truly scalable. As AI, sovereign cloud and distributed architectures accelerate, resilient and diverse fibre is increasingly shaping the map of viable locations – and unlocking regional opportunities that weren’t previously possible. In this session, Martin Sharrock (Chief Technology Officer at Chorus) will show:

How New Zealand’s largest open‑access fibre network is becoming a national strategic advantage, preventing connectivity bottlenecks and enabling expansion beyond metro hubs
How fibre geography is shaping viable sites, the role of fibre in enabling AI and sovereign cloud
How edge centres built on high‑resilience routes will underpin the next era of digital infrastructure

Martin Sharrock, Chief Technology Officer, Chorus

10:30

Morning refreshments and exhibition viewing

INTERACTIVE ROUNDTABLES

11:10

Participate in 40-minute peer discussions tackling today’s most critical issues.

Roundtable 1: Workforce Strategy – Building skills for the digital infrastructure era

Nabeel Mahmood, Managing Director, Nomad Futurist (USA)

Roundtable 2: Renewable Integration – Embedding clean energy into data centre operations

Simon Currie, Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer, Energy Estate

Roundtable 3: Grid connection – Overcoming power and capacity bottlenecks

Sam Kivi, Chief Technology Officer, Grid Share

Roundtable 4: Managing data centre energy costs within volatile markets: strategies, tools and systems

Matthew Cowie, Partner | Climate Change and Sustainability Services, EY New Zealand

Roundtable 5: AI moves at light speed, infrastructure doesn’t- unless its modular

Alex McCarthy, Data Centre Evangelist, Honeywell APAC

Roundtable 6: Unpacking policy, regulation, and market settings to enable the next phase of data centre investment

Rob Macredie, Partner, DLA Piper

Roundtable 7: Site selection decisions that can make or break a datacentre project

Sophie Flood, Head of Infra Development & Expansion, Chorus

Roundtable 8: The future of data centre design: Building for performance, scale, and speed

Pete GilMurray, Construction Adoption Specialist, Autodesk

Roundtable 9: Beyond the As-Built: Creating a trusted digital record for commissioning and operations

Sellwyn D’souza, Senior Solutions Engineer, Cupix

Roundtable 10: A Kiwi Compass: Navigating the New Zealand data centre market

Andrew Green, Director, AG Squared Consulting

Roundtable 11: Expanding our appeal: encouraging and enabling talent to join the industry

Alice Green, AG Squared Consulting, Director

Roundtable 12: Opening new opportunities: Shifting from serving NZ to serving APAC

Hugh Robinson, AG Squared Consulting, Independent GTM consultant

Roundtable 13: From Net Zero commitments to action: Practical decarbonisation

Mike Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer, Carbon and Energy Professionals New Zealand

Roundtable 14: Data Centre reliability and minimising unplanned disruptions

Jeff Sharp, Principal Industry Consultant, Octave

Roundtable 15: Building Resilient Supply Chains for the Next Generation of AI Data Centres

Charlene Furter, Associate Director Data Centre, Construction & Procurement, Turner & Townsend

CAPITAL MARKETS, LEGAL FRAMEWORKS & INVESTMENT STRATEGIES

11:50

PRESENTATION: New Zealand: An emerging data centre and AI hub

New Zealand is rapidly emerging as a key data centre and AI hub, driven by abundant renewable energy, political stability and a growing digital economy. With major cloud providers launching local cloud regions and Auckland’s capacity set to triple by 2025, the country is attracting increasing global attention. New submarine cable connections and regional expansion will further accelerate New Zealand’s position as an international digital infrastructure destination.

Simon Ansley, Investment Director, Invest New Zealand

12:00

PANEL: Tracking capital flows: Navigating investment challenges in a high-growth market

As New Zealand’s data centre sector expands, how are investors evaluating PPAs, staged load and sovereign-cloud drivers. Investors are watching market dynamics, regulatory settings, and long-term opportunities, this panel brings together leaders from major funds to discuss where capital is moving, the hurdles they face, and what they see ahead for the sector.

Current allocation trends across hyperscale, edge, and colocation
Investor appetite for New Zealand vs APAC vs global markets
Regulatory and tax considerations shaping inbound investment in New Zealand data centres
Co-investment models and strategic partnerships
How AI demand is reshaping valuation models and underwriting assumptions
Financing capacity in a tight grid: funding growth amid connection constraints

Simon Ansley, Investment Director, Invest New Zealand

Matt Neil, Director Data Centres, Datacom

Sean Robertson, Managing Director - Debt Investments, Brookfield Asset Management

Moderated by:

Hishaam Mirza, Former Head of Direct Investments, NZ Super Fund

12:35

Networking lunch and exhibition viewing

BUILDING DATA CENTRES BIGGER & FASTER

13:35

From design to operations: Realising the full value of data centre digital twins

Explore how a true lifecycle approach, linking design, construction, commissioning, and operations through a unified digital twin, can unlock efficiency, resilience, and sustainability in data centres. This session goes beyond the typical focus on digital twins in either construction or operations, showing how Octave’s solutions bridge the gap and enable continuous data flow and value creation from initial design through to decommissioning.

How to ensure data integrity and continuity from BIM to operations
Real-world examples: Reducing rework, accelerating commissioning, and improving uptime
Overcoming silos between project teams and facility operators

Nicholas Chote, Senior Solution Consultant, Octave

13:50

PANEL: Delivering scale: Building high-density data centres in a high-demand market

New Zealand’s data centre surge is putting exceptional pressure on construction teams to deliver larger, faster, and more resilient facilities while navigating land constraints, labour shortages, and supply chain volatility. In this opening discussion, leading contractors and delivery partners will share how they are scaling to meet demand, managing risk across complex builds, and adapting to the evolving needs of hyperscalers and enterprise clients. From procurement models to cooling innovation, seismic requirements, and compliance, this session sets the tone for a day focused on construction excellence.

What’s changed for major DC projects: faster consents, environmental reviews, iwi engagement, and seismic design requirements
Best-practice design and modular delivery for high-density computing, including advanced cooling approaches
Managing proprietary systems and specialist installations when testing entities and technicians must be flown in from overseas
Accelerating project delivery while managing risk, land constraints, labour shortages, and evolving hyperscaler requirements

Peter Skipper, Director, Data Centre Operations, New Zealand, DCI Data Centres

Charlene Furter, Associate Director Data Centre, Construction & Procurement, Turner & Townsend

LuLu Shiraz, Country Head & Senior Director - Sales, ANZ, VERTIV

Prithu Srivastava, Chief Commercial Officer, DHL Supply Chain Asia Pacific

Moderated by:

Raji Rai, Director, Vastra Consulting Limited

14:30

Supply chain strategies for scaling data centre delivery

As AI and data centre demand accelerates, supply chains are becoming critical to speed, cost, and project certainty. This session explores how organisations can manage long lead times across key components while navigating procurement risks and global disruption, and how greater resilience and transparency can unlock predictability.

Discover how to balance speed to market with cost control and quality assurance, and the role logistics, warehousing, and smarter planning play in keeping projects on track.

Zane Morton, Country Manager, DHL Global Forwarding New Zealand

14:50

Afternoon refreshments & exhibition viewing

15:25

INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT

In this session, you’ll hear rapid-fire 5-minute presentations from companies at the forefront of data centre innovation followed by a 20-minute panel discussion exploring how their services and solutions are transforming development – boosting delivery speed, improving cost certainty, and supporting sustainability and resilience goals.

Talk 1: Turn data into smart decisions and maximise your technology ROI with insights that drive safety and strengthen a culture of operational excellence. Facilitated by: Jeff Sharp, Principal Industry Consultant, Octave

Talk 2: Are we protecting tomorrow’s infrastructure with yesterday’s security? Facilitated by: Brad Small, General Manager – Sales and Marketing, Red Badge Group

Talk 3: Modular solutions for the next generation of AI Data Centres. Facilitated by: Alex McCarthy, Data Centre Evangelist, Honeywell APAC

Talk 4: Achieving real time operational visibility

Speakers

Jeff Sharp, Principal Industry Consultant, Octave

Brad Small, General Manager - Sales and Marketing, Red Badge Group

Alex McCarthy, Data Centre Evangelist, Honeywell APAC

Moderated by:

Craig Young, Chief Executive Officer, TUANZ

POWERING AND COOLING DATA CENTRES SUSTAINABLY

16:00

CASE STUDY: AI, power and cooling: Enabling the data centres of the future

As AI drives unprecedented demand, power and cooling become defining design requirements. This session explores global and local views on grid capacity, heat management, and practical strategies to support high-density AI workloads.

Planning for grid capacity: global and local outlook
Managing high-density cooling demands and thermal stress
Mitigating the operational challenges of AI-driven loads
Building resilience for the next generation of data centres

Ross Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Datacentre220

16:20

PANEL: Powering the future: rethinking grid readiness, connection and energy solutions for data centres in 2030s and beyond

As compute demand accelerates, data centres face growing pressure to secure reliable, scalable, low-carbon power. This panel brings together leaders from energy, infrastructure, and data centre sectors to examine the evolving energy mix, from grid constraints and renewable integration. We will explore how operators plan for long-term resilience and what policy shifts and investments are needed to scale clean energy and its supply chain.

Diversifying power sources: solar, wind, battery storage, and nuclear
Grid constraints, connection delays, demand flexibility and resilience
The economics and viability of SMRs in the data centre landscape
Building partnerships with utilities, governments, and investors
Ensuring sustainability while meeting scale and uptime requirements
Where will the next 300 MW come from?

Simon Currie, Co-Founder and Chief Projects Officer, Energy Estate

Sam Kivi, Chief Technology Officer, Grid Share

Phil Gibson, Former EGM Portfolio, Mercury NZ

Timothy Duguid, Head of Customer & Commercial, Transpower

Moderated by:

Mike Hopkins, Chief Executive Officer, Carbon and Energy Professionals New Zealand

16:55

INDUSTRY ADDRESS: Introducing a national data centre strategy

Off the back of last year’s research into the current data centre ecosystem in New Zealand, the DataCentres New Zealand group have collaborated on the development of a national strategy that addresses the domestic need and the export opportunity, ensuring data centres build in New Zealand benefit New Zealand.

Graeme Muller, Chief Executive, Tech New Zealand

17:05

LOCKNOTE ADDRESS

Mike Shirley, Head of Sales & Marketing, Spark

Hon. Penny Simmonds, , Minister for Tertiary Education, Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology and Associate Minister for Social Development and Employment

17:15