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Shaping the future of data centres through collaboration: Stephen Byrne’s learnings from Datacloud Global Congress 2023
Stephen Byrne, Mercury’s Group Business Development Manager for Data Centres, discusses his key learnings from this year’s Datacloud Global Congress.
As I depart Monaco, I can’t help but feel energised by yet another memorable week spent at the Datacloud Global Congress. This event brings together top industry leaders to discuss the future of digital infrastructure.
I was proud to see Mercury, Europe’s leading datacentre construction provider, actively participating alongside our industry peers, with a number of our senior management in attendance. It’s always great to reconnect with familiar faces, meet new professionals in the field, exchange ideas, and strengthen relationships—all in pursuit of bringing our clients’ visions to life.
As I head back to Dublin, I’m eager to share the valuable insights I’ve gained over the past week. So, let me dive into my top five learnings, what they mean for the data centre industry, and how they relate to Mercury’s greater strategic vision.
Keeping clients at the heart of what we do
An overarching theme that particularly resonated with me is the importance of keeping our clients at the heart of what we do.
This year’s congress has reinforced our commitment to shaping the future of data centres together with our clients, partners, and the industry, making a lasting impact and driving progress in this ever-evolving landscape. As a company, Mercury’s purpose is Your Vision, Our Duty and I was proud to see that our values keenly align with the industry’s focus.
As market leaders, our agility and entrepreneurial spirit enable us to adapt quickly and make strategic, calculated decisions for long-term benefits. We prioritise early engagement with clients and strive to understand their unique needs so we can tailor our services accordingly. By building strategic partnerships with our clients, we ensure that their visions become a reality, time and time again.
As we continue to solidify our position as Europe’s leading data centre construction provider and maintain our status as the preferred contractor for our clients, these learnings will serve as a guiding light for our strategies and inspire us to consistently deliver exceptional results.
Sustainability is the name of the game
If there’s one theme that particularly stood out from this year’s congress – it’s sustainability – and for a very good reason.
The datacentre industry is shifting towards a greener future, and we at Mercury are firmly part of this movement. We’re always looking for ways to help our clients build sustainable data centres with energy-efficient solutions and eco-friendly construction methods.
As an industry leader, we believe that we each have a role to play in contributing to the sustainable development of our planet and are actively engaged with our supply chain on this journey. Our responsible business plan, “Our Planet, Our Duty,” reflects our commitment to creating a more sustainable environment around us.
New frontiers for data centre locations
In addition to the traditional FLAP-D markets, data centres are branching out into secondary and tertiary markets. The attendance and representation at the Datacloud Global Congress emphasised the significance of adapting to this evolving landscape.
This shift presents an exciting opportunity for our clients to expand their footprint and grow into new markets, and as Europe’s most experienced general contractor within the data centre sector, we are committed to supporting them every step of the way.
Over the last 20 years, our highly skilled international teams have successfully delivered data centres in over 15 countries for some of the world’s largest corporations. Our adaptability and experience in emerging markets have been crucial to our success and we pride ourselves on our ability to go beyond and meet the challenges of this expanding market. We design, build, plan, construct, and commission data centres using the highest levels of safety, quality, and delivery.
Our cutting-edge construction methods mean we consistently deliver highly complex and specialized turnkey services on time, every time. By being able to follow our clients wherever they go, we remain their first-choice contractor, while reducing risk and cost along the way.
Embracing tech-savvy data centre construction and Modern Methods of Construction
Throughout the congress, a topic frequently mentioned by clients and partners was the importance of embracing cutting-edge technology and modern methods in construction, and Mercury is very much at the forefront of this movement.
We believe that delivering construction solutions that guarantee safety, quality, certainty, and sustainability is the logical thing to do. That’s why we are leading the way when it comes to Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) and Off-site Assembly (OSA), delivering complex end-to-end projects that are transforming the industry.
By staying on top of trends and embracing innovative tools, we can provide more efficient and cost-effective data centre construction services. Our proven record of integrating technology into our work is crucial for quickly and efficiently delivering more upgrade, retrofit, and fit-out projects.
It’s all about synergy with supply chain partners
It’s clear from speaking with industry-experts at the Grimaldi Forum that having supply-chain partners that share your vision makes all the difference. Mercury is dedicated to building relationships with our trusted supply chain partners across Europe, with a combined headcount of over 8,500.
During this event, we had the opportunity to meet with many of these partners and are looking forward to continuing to work with them in our key regions. These partners share our passion for delivering best-in-class safety, quality, and delivery standards for our clients.
This alignment not only elevates our service offerings but also strengthens our position as strategic partners in the industry.
Overall, this year’s congress has reinforced our commitment to shaping the future of data centres together with our clients, partners, and the industry, making a lasting impact and driving progress in this ever-evolving landscape, and we eagerly look ahead to next year’s event.
ABOUT MERCURY
Mercury is a European contractor. We build and manage complex engineering & construction projects for the world’s leading corporations. Our solutions help deliver technologies that connect people, communities, and businesses, giving them the power to achieve incredible things. Our people have the courage to be innovative. Their determination and sharp focus enable us to deliver with certainty, time and time again.
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