RDCS hosts ACE AI Data Centres Workshop
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Published
24 March 2026
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On 6 March 2026, the University of East London’s Royal Docks Centre for Sustainability (RDCS), in collaboration with the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering, hosted a workshop on next-generation, AI-ready data centres at Docklands Campus.
Bringing together international industry experts, students and academic staff, the session explored how emerging technologies can enable more sustainable digital infrastructure. The event demonstrated RDCS’s role as a hub for innovation, skills development and global collaboration, in line with UEL’s Vision 2028.
RDCS serves as UEL’s “front door” for sustainability, enterprise, innovation and civic collaboration. It connects partners across industry, academia and communities to address global challenges through practical, impact-driven activity.
Through its programmes and events, RDCS creates opportunities for students to engage directly with industry, supporting career pathways, while helping organisations test and scale sustainable solutions.
Organised by Senior Lecturer Dr Umaima Haider, the workshop welcomed experts from the UK, Germany, France, Belgium and the United States, reflecting the global nature of the digital infrastructure sector.
The agenda explored key topics shaping the future of AI-driven data centres, including decarbonisation strategies, the rapid scaling of immersive liquid cooling, the role of natural dielectric fluids, open-source approaches to AI infrastructure, and circular economy principles in data centre design.
A defining feature of the event was the high level of student engagement. Attendees gained direct insight into industry trends and innovations, interacting with speakers to explore how their studies connect to real-world challenges. This interaction highlighted RDCS’s role in bridging academia and industry, ensuring students are not only learning about emerging technologies, but actively engaging with the figures and ideas shaping them.
Dr Haider said:
Workshops like this bridge the gap between academia and industry, giving students real-world insight into the latest trends and the skills they need to succeed in the digital infrastructure industry.”
Events like this form part of RDCS’s wider programme of activity, designed to connect students, researchers and industry partners through hands-on learning and collaboration.
By convening global expertise within a local setting, RDCS continues to strengthen the Royal Docks as a centre for sustainable innovation, supporting both talent development and the growth of future-focused industries.
This workshop reinforces UEL’s position as a university committed to sustainability, innovation and real-world impact, with RDCS playing a key role in creating opportunities that connect education, industry and global challenges.