Shiona McCallum, a BBC presenter, walked through the bustling halls of one of Europe’s biggest technology events in Paris, searching for the next wave of gadgets that will soon populate homes and workplaces. The show, VivaTech, is a showcase of innovation, and McCallum found plenty of the latest kit. But beyond the wearable tech and flashy demos, she encountered a quieter, more contentious topic: data centres. These vast facilities are the backbone of modern online life, yet not everyone is convinced of their value.
McCallum spoke with the head of a major global data centre company, who outlined the challenges facing the industry. While the specifics of those challenges were not detailed in the programme, the conversation hinted at a growing tension between the digital world’s insatiable demand for storage and computing power and the concerns of communities and environmentalists. The executive’s remarks, captured by McCallum and producer Tom Quinn, laid bare a struggle that will define the next phase of technological expansion.
“BBC's Shiona McCallum visits VivaTech in Paris and explores the challenges facing the data centre industry.”
The episode, broadcast on the BBC World Service, highlights a pivotal moment: as Europe’s largest tech fair draws crowds eager for the next breakthrough, the infrastructure that makes it all possible quietly invites scrutiny. Whether the industry can reconcile its ambitions with public unease remains an open question, but for now, the debate is as much a part of VivaTech as the gadgets themselves.