New research commissioned by Lenovo highlights the urgent need for data center design across EMEA to adapt in order to support long-term business resilience. As organizations seek to run AI workloads more efficiently while responding to tightening sustainability regulations and compliance requirements, legacy data center models are increasingly proving inadequate. Nearly half of IT leaders (45%) acknowledge that their existing infrastructure does not align with their energy efficiency or carbon reduction targets.
Concerns around data governance are equally pressing. Almost all IT and executive decision-makers in the region (99%) say data sovereignty will play a critical role in how data is gathered, stored, and processed in the coming years. Meanwhile, the rapid acceleration of AI-driven data consumption is exposing a disconnect: many organizations remain ill-equipped to deploy AI effectively or in an environmentally responsible way, underscoring a widening gap between digital aspirations and infrastructure readiness.
To explore these challenges, Lenovo partnered with Opinium on the Data Center of the Future study, which outlines the major forces shaping where and how data centers will be designed and operated. This research comes at a time when the data center market continues to expand, while energy consumption, sustainability, and cost pressures grow ever more central to IT decision-making across EMEA.
Sustainability readiness demands a rethink
Although 92% of IT decision-makers say they favor technology partners that actively reduce energy use and carbon emissions, fewer than half (46%) believe their current data center architecture supports sustainability objectives. This shortfall reflects the mounting environmental strain caused by AI, automation, and surging data volumes. Traditional air-cooling systems, in particular, are struggling to deliver the right balance of efficiency, affordability, and emissions reduction.
Data sovereignty remains a top priority
With 88% of IT leaders already treating data sovereignty as a key concern—and nearly all expecting it to remain critical over the next five years—control over data location and compliance is set to strongly influence future data center strategies. In parallel, 94% cite low latency as an essential requirement now and in the future, driven by the rise of real-time workloads and edge computing.
Scaling AI will shape tomorrow’s data centers
Looking ahead, 90% of IT decision-makers anticipate that AI will dramatically increase organizational data volumes over the next decade, while 62% see AI and automation as the most influential factors in shaping IT strategy. Despite this, readiness remains uneven: 41% admit their organizations are not yet prepared to integrate AI in an efficient manner.
“The next generation of data centers will be defined by their ability to scale AI workloads, meet sustainability commitments, and maximize energy efficiency,” said Simone Larsson, Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo. “As compute demand accelerates, customers will increasingly seek infrastructure partners that can deliver high performance while also taking accountability for environmental impact.
“In EMEA, data sovereignty is especially urgent due to complex regulatory landscapes and growing scrutiny from CIOs and executive teams. Organizations must make proactive infrastructure choices now, because the decisions made today will determine future readiness.”
Envisioning the Data Center of 2055
To explore what data centers could look like three decades from now, Lenovo collaborated with engineering firm AKT II and architects Mamou-Mani. Their concepts reimagine the traditional rack-based data center by integrating liquid cooling, natural resources, and unconventional locations to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact. Proposed designs include:
The Floating Cloud: A high-altitude data center concept, suspended 20–30 kilometers above ground—well clear of commercial air traffic. Powered continuously by solar energy, it uses sealed, pressurized liquid cooling systems to eliminate air pollution. Modular construction makes airborne deployment feasible. The Data Village: Positioned near rivers or canals, this modular, stackable system connects data center operations directly to urban environments. Enhanced liquid cooling enables waste heat to be reused for nearby schools, homes, or public facilities, while proximity helps reduce latency. This idea extends into a “Data Spa,” powered by geothermal energy and designed to blend seamlessly into natural landscapes such as valleys or lagoons. The Data Center Bunker: By repurposing unused tunnels, bunkers, or transport infrastructure, this underground model minimizes land use and avoids new construction. Its subterranean setting enhances security and naturally supports efficient thermal management. Concerns around data governance are equally pressing. Almost all IT and executive decision-makers in the region (99%) say data sovereignty will play a critical role in how data is gathered, stored, and processed in the coming years. Meanwhile, the rapid acceleration of AI-driven data consumption is exposing a disconnect: many organizations remain ill-equipped to deploy AI effectively or in an environmentally responsible way, underscoring a widening gap between digital aspirations and infrastructure readiness.
To explore these challenges, Lenovo partnered with Opinium on the Data Center of the Future study, which outlines the major forces shaping where and how data centers will be designed and operated. This research comes at a time when the data center market continues to expand, while energy consumption, sustainability, and cost pressures grow ever more central to IT decision-making across EMEA.
Sustainability readiness demands a rethink
Although 92% of IT decision-makers say they favor technology partners that actively reduce energy use and carbon emissions, fewer than half (46%) believe their current data center architecture supports sustainability objectives. This shortfall reflects the mounting environmental strain caused by AI, automation, and surging data volumes. Traditional air-cooling systems, in particular, are struggling to deliver the right balance of efficiency, affordability, and emissions reduction.
Data sovereignty remains a top priority
With 88% of IT leaders already treating data sovereignty as a key concern—and nearly all expecting it to remain critical over the next five years—control over data location and compliance is set to strongly influence future data center strategies. In parallel, 94% cite low latency as an essential requirement now and in the future, driven by the rise of real-time workloads and edge computing.
Scaling AI will shape tomorrow’s data centers
Looking ahead, 90% of IT decision-makers anticipate that AI will dramatically increase organizational data volumes over the next decade, while 62% see AI and automation as the most influential factors in shaping IT strategy. Despite this, readiness remains uneven: 41% admit their organizations are not yet prepared to integrate AI in an efficient manner.
“The next generation of data centers will be defined by their ability to scale AI workloads, meet sustainability commitments, and maximize energy efficiency,” said Simone Larsson, Head of Enterprise AI, EMEA at Lenovo. “As compute demand accelerates, customers will increasingly seek infrastructure partners that can deliver high performance while also taking accountability for environmental impact.
“In EMEA, data sovereignty is especially urgent due to complex regulatory landscapes and growing scrutiny from CIOs and executive teams. Organizations must make proactive infrastructure choices now, because the decisions made today will determine future readiness.”
Envisioning the Data Center of 2055
To explore what data centers could look like three decades from now, Lenovo collaborated with engineering firm AKT II and architects Mamou-Mani. Their concepts reimagine the traditional rack-based data center by integrating liquid cooling, natural resources, and unconventional locations to improve sustainability and reduce environmental impact. Proposed designs include:
All concepts rely on liquid cooling to address rising heat densities and the inefficiencies of air-based cooling. Compared to traditional methods, liquid cooling consumes less energy and significantly improves overall sustainability.
“As architects and engineers, our goal is to make data centers smarter and more responsible—not simply larger,” said James Cheung, Partner at Mamou-Mani. “This project brings together business needs and realistic solutions, from repurposed underground spaces to urban data villages and high-altitude cloud modules that return energy to local communities. While no one can predict the future with certainty, these concepts demonstrate ideas that could move from theory to real-world pilots with reduced risk.”
Building future-ready infrastructure today
To address rising compute demands alongside stricter sustainability expectations, organizations must begin modernizing their infrastructure now. Liquid cooling represents a practical and effective pathway forward. Lenovo Neptune liquid cooling technology, for example, can remove up to 98% of system heat directly at the source, significantly lowering energy consumption and reducing dependence on air cooling.
As AI adoption and advanced analytics continue to scale, Neptune solutions provide a foundation that supports both performance growth and environmental responsibility.
“Lenovo is focused on delivering intelligent, sustainable infrastructure at scale,” Larsson concluded. “With Neptune liquid cooling, we are already enabling customers to manage the energy intensity of AI through highly efficient, deployable solutions. Designing future-ready data centers requires a fundamental shift—one where sustainability is embedded from the outset, not added later.”
“As architects and engineers, our goal is to make data centers smarter and more responsible—not simply larger,” said James Cheung, Partner at Mamou-Mani. “This project brings together business needs and realistic solutions, from repurposed underground spaces to urban data villages and high-altitude cloud modules that return energy to local communities. While no one can predict the future with certainty, these concepts demonstrate ideas that could move from theory to real-world pilots with reduced risk.”
Building future-ready infrastructure today
To address rising compute demands alongside stricter sustainability expectations, organizations must begin modernizing their infrastructure now. Liquid cooling represents a practical and effective pathway forward. Lenovo Neptune liquid cooling technology, for example, can remove up to 98% of system heat directly at the source, significantly lowering energy consumption and reducing dependence on air cooling.
As AI adoption and advanced analytics continue to scale, Neptune solutions provide a foundation that supports both performance growth and environmental responsibility.
“Lenovo is focused on delivering intelligent, sustainable infrastructure at scale,” Larsson concluded. “With Neptune liquid cooling, we are already enabling customers to manage the energy intensity of AI through highly efficient, deployable solutions. Designing future-ready data centers requires a fundamental shift—one where sustainability is embedded from the outset, not added later.”