Digitale Infrastruktur zwischen Technologie, Energie und Souveränität
On 16 and 17 September 2026, the German Datacenter Conference (GDACon) will bring together representatives from the data center industry, politics, the energy sector and the entire digital infrastructure ecosystem at VILCO in Bad Vilbel. In its fifth edition, the conference will focus on the strategic decisions shaping the German and European data center market.
How can Germany strengthen its digital infrastructure in international competition? What conditions are needed for the expansion of data centers and AI infrastructure – from energy and grid connections to planning, financing and acceptance?
These questions will be at the heart of the German Datacenter Conference (GDACon) on 16 and 17 September 2026. Under the guiding theme “Digital Infrastructure of the Future: Technology. Energy. Sovereignty.”, experts from business and politics will discuss the key challenges and development prospects for digital infrastructure.
Strategic decisions for Germany as a business location
Artificial intelligence is further increasing the demand for powerful digital infrastructure.GDACon26 addresses these developments from a range of perspectives. Key topics include the growing infrastructure requirements driven by artificial intelligence, energy and grid capacities, technological innovation, as well as faster planning and approval processes.
Further areas of focus include investment conditions in Germany, new requirements for planning, construction and operations, as well as the economic importance of data centers for cities and municipalities.
The breadth of topics highlights one thing clearly: data centers are no longer solely an IT issue. Their expansion affects energy supply and grid infrastructure just as much as industrial and location policy, technological sovereignty, municipal development and Germany’s international competitiveness.
High-level perspectives from business and politics
The GDACon26 program brings together different perspectives from across the digital infrastructure ecosystem. Speakers will include representatives from Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft, IONOS and polarise, as well as Stulz and Intel.
The political perspective will be represented by Dr Nicolas Sölter, State Secretary for Digitalisation and Innovation of the State of Hesse, and Julia Carstens, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Employment, Technology and Tourism of the State of Schleswig-Holstein.
The energy and infrastructure sectors will also be prominently represented: among others, representatives from 50Hertz, Amprion, RheinEnergie and ENGIE will contribute to the conference program.
From around 300 to around 1,000 participants
In 2026, the German Datacenter Conference will take place for the fifth time. Since its first edition in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen in 2022, the conference has grown from around 300 guests to approximately 1,000 expected participants and has developed into an important meeting point for the European data center industry.
“What began in 2022 with around 300 guests in Frankfurt-Sachsenhausen has developed within just a few years into one of the important meeting points for the European data center industry,” says Martin Kohoutek, Director General of the German Datacenter Association. “This year, we expect around 1,000 participants. This growth also reflects how significantly digital infrastructure has gained in economic and political importance. Our ambition for GDACon is therefore clear: we want to bring together those who must jointly shape the framework conditions and infrastructure of the future.”
German Datacenter Conference 2026
The German Datacenter Conference 2026 will take place on 16 and 17 September 2026 at VILCO in Bad Vilbel.
Further information on the program and the conference can be found at the website www.gdc-conference.com
