Faced with the explosive growth in digital demand and the rise of AI, the traditional data center model is undergoing a major transformation. As legacy hubs reach capacity, land becomes scarce, and energy constraints mount in urban areas, new opportunities are emerging in suburban and rural areas, driven by a hybrid model: that of distributed regional hubs—the “data center in the countryside”!

This roundtable discussion will examine the fundamental trade-offs between location, access to energy, local acceptance, and economic performance. It will highlight the unique characteristics of large data centers, AI-dedicated infrastructure, and AI factories, within a French context marked by challenges related to planning, attractiveness, and digital sovereignty.

• Toward hybrid regional hubs: complementarity between urban, suburban, and rural data centers, and new approaches to regional networking.
• Land use and planning: trade-offs between densification in constrained urban areas and development in rural areas with available land reserves.
•    Energy and Networks: Access to electrical power, integration of renewable energy, utilization of waste heat, and connection constraints.
• Local Acceptance: Dialogue with elected officials and local residents, local economic benefits, and issues related to project image and acceptance.
•    French Framework: regulations, administrative timelines, energy planning, and the role of local authorities in enhancing project attractiveness.
• Sovereignty and Competitiveness: France’s position in the European and global competition to host hybrid and critical digital infrastructure.