Meet the jury seminar: Policy making for efficiency and performance of data centres

We kindly invite you to join the ‘Meet the Jury’ seminar, featuring an international speaker to discuss their research on 'Policy making for efficiency and performance of data centres.'

This seminar will be given by:

• Dr. Iolanda Saviuc

Data centres are among the fastest-growing consumers of resources in the modern economy, a trend sharply accelerated by the rise of AI. This growth creates pressure on public infrastructure (e.g, grid congestion, water stress) and exposes uncomfortable trade-offs such as the one between energy efficiency and water consumption, therefore representing a clear case for policy intervention.

Partial solutions exist: on-site renewable generation, demand flexibility, waste heat recovery, novel cooling technologies, IT load management — but each comes with different levels of maturity, different stakeholder interests, and different implementation challenges. Translating them into effective policy requires more than technical knowledge: it demands structured consultation with operators, utilities, NGOs and industry associations; rigorous scenario modelling and impact assessment; a command of the existing regulatory landscape; and the ability to navigate a complex and shifting geopolitical environment.

This seminar introduces students to the process of policy making, from problem diagnosis to stakeholder engagement to policy design, with an application to a pressing and fast-evolving challenge in today's society on a EU-level.

This is a Meet the Jury seminar. Additional information on how to apply for these seminars can be found here.

For whom?

• PhD students and postdocs

When and where?

• April 29, 2026 - 09:00-10:00
• Diepenbeek Campus, Room A4

Registration?

• Registration is possible via this link.