A RECENT conference held in Limerick has discussed sustainable technologies, asking what is needed for sustainable computing.
The conference, held in the Engine Collaboration Centre earlier this month, was focused on answering an important question – what’s needed for sustainable computing, as well as reviewing newest technologies and emerging trends in sustainability.
The conference was held by AMAX, in conjunction with NVIDIA and AMD, and discussed the paths to sustainable computing.
With the increase of AI (Artificial Intelligence), the need for computing will only increase, Niall Smith, general manager with Shannon-based AMAX EMEA, said that the computing we know “is here to stay”.
“AI will increase dramatically the demand for computing and therefore new data centres,” he said.
“Servers used for AI are GPU-based, therefore very energy intense. We need to make sure we fulfil the data centres demand in a most sustainable way, minimising their strain on the environment and adding value to local communities,” he added.
Also in attendance at the day-long conference were delegates from Submer, Asperitas, the Castrol Technology Centre, Bachmann, and Weka, among others.
The event featured a variety of activities, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, and training sessions.
Attendees had the opportunity to network with peers and industry experts, share their experiences, and attend live demonstrations.
Among the discussion points at the event was Ireland’s potential to become a go-to destination for green data centres, much like Scandinavia is now.
There has been widespread discussion about the place of data centres in Ireland due to their energy intensity.
Modern data centres should be considered assets for local communities, providing them with heat reused from server cooling or sustainable technology jobs. Speakers from Gyrogy and Bord Na Móna talked about reinventing data centres to fit that model.
Among panellists at the event was John McKiernan, head of innovation pipeline, strategy, innovation, and transformation at ESB, who overlooks Free Electrons – the global energy startup program supporting startups accelerating the clean energy transition.
Asked about the Net Zero goals, McKiernan said: “We are focussing on driving innovation on three fronts – reducing cost, increasing performance, and offering more flexibility. We see sustainability as driving competitive advantage on several fronts,” he stated.
This conference was the second time in 2023 that AMAX and their technology partners have displayed strong drive to innovate and showcased what’s possible with groundbreaking technologies, following another AI CONNECT event in March.
