Connect | London // Major panel: Will the race for speed break data center supply chains?
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- Main Stage - Connect Show Floor | Mezzanine Level
- Data Center Construction
- Open Session
Speakers
Pre-Construction Director, Equans Data Centers
Global Technical Programe Manager, Google
Ilker Esener
SVP of Design & Supply Chain Strategy, Bulk Infrastructure
Martin Kemp
Director, Regional Procurement EMEA, Equinix
Head of Channels, DCD
The demand curve has snapped away from the supply chain’s ability to keep pace. As delivery timelines compress, operators are running into shortages of materials, equipment, and skilled labour. Lead times are stretching, tariff‑driven price swings are destabilising procurement, and regulatory negotiation for large facilities is adding months to already‑tight schedules. The question is no longer whether the supply chain is strained, it’s whether current deployment expectations are structurally unsustainable.
This session will explore:
- How far operators can rely on alternative suppliers without sacrificing quality or resilience
- How to balance standardization with flexibility across volatile material markets and geographies
- How tariffs, regulation, and import delays are reshaping delivery strategy
- Which procurement and localization models can stabilize lead times and hedge risk