What stories lie behind data centres?
Fri 17 April 2026
15:00
Free
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Data centres are making headlines — from Elon Musk’s plans to build them in space to governments around the world announcing ever‑larger development deals. But what stories lie behind these grand announcements?
The panel will explore the common assumption that data centres are an unavoidable component of digital innovation, climate strategies, and economic development. It will also consider the environmental and social impacts associated with their expansion, as well as the market incentives and corporate lobbying that contribute to their rapid growth and most importantly their impact on local communities.
Drawing on stories from around the world, the panellists will outline the intersecting issues surrounding data centres, including corporate influence, climate considerations, environmental degradation, human impact, and deeply rooted structural inequalities. They will also highlight examples of resistance and community organising efforts that offer alternative perspectives and challenge narratives of inevitability.
Moderated by Lou Welgryn.
Sponsored by Luminate.
Modified more than a month ago
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Julia Faustina Abad
Julia Faustina Abad is a Specialist in the Telecommunications and Digital Rights Program at the Brazilian Institute for Consumer Protection (Idec), working in regulation of technology, data protection, and consumer advocacy. She holds a master's degree in Urban Management from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, with research on facial recognition and fundamental rights, and has a specialization in Criminal Law and Criminology and a degree in Law.
Lais Martins
Laís Martins is an investigative journalist based in São Paulo, Brazil. Her coverage focuses on technology, human rights and politics - and what lies at the intersection of these topics. She is currently a reporter with The Intercept Brasil, but her work as an independent journalist has previously been featured in prestigious international and Brazilian media outlets. She is a 2025/26 Pulitzer Center AI Accountability fellow with investigations focused on the buildout of AI data centers in Brazil.
Max Schulze
Max Schulze is co-founder of Leitmotiv. He has worked on the core infrastructure and services of tech companies in the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and Spain. He is a seasoned software engineer and an expert on cloud infrastructure. In 2019, he shifted his focus from building digital products to making them sustainable with an NGO he co-founded—the Sustainable Digital Infrastructure Alliance. He brought his deep technical expertise, understanding of digital economics and policy, as well as storytelling to the mission of addressing the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. Max has co-authored Data Center Essentials, a knowledge repository on all-things data centers. He has contributed to numerous global initiatives, from the United Nations Coalition for Digital Environmental Sustainability to the World Bank Green Data Center Guide. He is a recognized digital policy expert, advising governments and agencies from Germany, the Netherlands to the United States.
Lou Welgryn
Lou Welgryn is secretary general of Data for Good, a community of tech experts that volunteer to help other NGOs in their quest for social justice, democracy and environmental protection while fighting against big tech hegemony.
Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo
Il Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo di Perugia è un evento annuale che riunisce professionisti dei media, esperti di comunicazione e appassionati di informazione da tutto il mondo. Si svolge nel centro storico di Perugia e offre conferenze, dibattiti, workshop e opportunità di networking sui temi più rilevanti del giornalismo contemporaneo.