Digital transformation is progressing rapidly and cloud computing is becoming increasingly important in medium-sized enterprises. Growing data volumes need to be processed and reliable digital infrastructure is a key location factor for innovative companies. Last but not least, the GDPR makes it more interesting for companies to operate their own data centre.
However, the framework conditions for operators of data centres in Germany are unfavourable in a European and international comparison: politics currently pays virtually no attention to the industry's particular circumstances and the data centre, a key component in the digital infrastructure, tends to be overlooked in public discussion.
GERMAN DATACENTER ASSOCIATION founded
From now on, the GERMAN DATACENTER ASSOCIATION e.V., a lobby organisation explicitly for data centre operators, will give the industry a voice. "Shaping the digital future together" is the claim under which the association, chaired by Harry Schnabel, a pioneer in the industry, was founded at the end of April 2018. Schnabel has been actively designing international digital infrastructures for over 45 years. Schnabel is represented by Jens Peter Müller, General Manager Commercial Germany at Keppel Data Centers. The association's Executive Board also includes Prof. Peter Radgen, Head of the Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use at the University of Stuttgart, Antje Tauchmann, MarCom Manager at maincubes Secure Datacenters, and Andreas Rüter, Head of Data Center Facilities at Vodafone Information Systems.
Objectives of the GERMAN DATACENTER ASSOCIATION e.V.
The stated objectives of the GERMAN DATACENTER ASSOCIATION are to increase the investment attractiveness of German locations, sustainably improve the framework conditions for data centre operators in Germany and promote the growth of the industry and its perception in business, society and politics.
General and regional topics on the operation and development of data centres will be discussed at various events. These events (current planned locations are Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Hanover) also provide a platform for an intensive exchange of information and high-level networking in the data centre business.
The GDA is looking to actively promote data centre research and create a network with the involvement of universities and research institutes and the establishment of a "Scientific Advisory Board". Bundled know-how will allow the technology trends in the various sectors of the data centre infrastructure to be explored and jointly developed.
This area of focus distinguishes the GERMAN DATACENTER ASSOCIATION from other digital associations. However, the Executive Board is naturally keen to cooperate in topics where overlaps exist. Support for a European community of data centre associations was also received in fruitful discussions with the Dutch Data Center Association, the European Data Centre Association, France Datacenter and the Danish Datacenter Industrien. European countries are already looking forward to the international collaboration.
