Younes noted that 99% of these CEOs are prioritising sustainability, a trend that could have significant implications for Africa. As these leaders invest in the continent, a well-defined sustainability strategy will become increasingly important. Without such a strategy, attracting investment could prove challenging.
He advocates for a combination of electrification and digitisation as a key strategy for achieving sustainability. This approach, Younes suggests, could provide a roadmap for the development of sustainable data centres in Africa. However, he also emphasised the need for a clear and comprehensive sustainability journey for data centres in the region.
“Full transparency to see into each connected product, from shop floor endpoints to the cloud is essential providing data that empower organisations to make informed decisions, improve productivity, reduce downtime, and enhance customer experiences," he says.
Younes explained that digital twin technology has an invaluable role to play, offering insight into asset performance, predictive maintenance, and operational efficiency, all of which enabled sustainable datacentre operations. He also said that with its ability to simulate, visualise, and predict outcomes, digital twin technology was unlocking new opportunities for innovation and transformation for data centres.
"The development of data centres is based on a comprehensive transformation strategy," he said. "Our expertise spans electrical, mechanical, and software engineering. However, instead of focusing on the individual components, we take a systematic approach to data centres, regarding it as a complete, integrated system."
