Connect | London // Debate: Has diligence become a new delivery bottleneck?
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- Main Stage - Connect Show Floor | Mezzanine Level
- Management & Operations
- Data Center Construction
- Open Session
Speakers
Construction Director - UK & Ireland, Digital Realty
Frances Chukwu
Acquisition and Land Development Manager - EMEA, Google
Alex Thomas
Data Centre Associate Director, Savills
Tom Heerey
Assistant General Counsel, EMEA Regional Lead, Global Leasing Lead, Infrastructure Legal Affairs, Microsoft
Clarke Shepherd
Founder and Managing Partner, PMO Hive
Portfolio Manager - APAC, DCD
Europe’s data‑center build environment has shifted from rapid mobilization to deep layers of verification. What once required a small deal team now demands twice the workforce, with technical auditors, grid specialists, risk modellers, lawyers, and commissioning engineers all involved before mobilization. Capital wants certainty, lenders require detailed assurance, and hyperscalers have tightened procurement guidelines. With geopolitical volatility, long technology lead times, and power scarcity, diligence has become a defining factor for speed of delivery.
This session will explore:
- How diligence requirements have expanded pre-mobilisation.
- Which delivery models or partnerships can speed builds without reducing assurance.
- How to cut time‑to‑market as compliance expectations rise.