Rob Stevens: ‘Zonder datasoevereiniteit ligt machtsmisbruik op de loer’

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Industrial Electronics Data center/computer rooms

The data center sector is at the forefront of technological innovation. Rob Stevens of Interconnect Services, one of the largest data centers in the Netherlands, will speak at the IT Infrastructure event on November 26 in Den Bosch about the challenges and opportunities in the sector. He sees two crucial themes: dealing with grid congestion and safeguarding data sovereignty.

Rob and his brother founded Interconnect in 1995, back when we still dialed into the internet via modem and stored information on floppy disks. Data centers were small-scale and primarily focused on hosting. By 2025, data centers will be the digital heart of society. Demand for data center services is greater than ever, partly due to the rise of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI). Interconnect is one of the leaders in the Benelux, with over 8,000 square meters of floor space.

The sector's growth also has a downside: data centers must find space within a congested electricity grid to meet the rapidly increasing demand for capacity. A seemingly impossible task, but after thirty years in the business, Stevens is undeterred. The CEO has a clear vision of how to turn these obstacles into an advantage. Stevens: "Grid congestion is caused by a lack of transmission capacity, and that's also where the solution lies. Reinforcing the grid will solve the problem permanently, but that will take at least eight years. We can't wait for that."

Smarter use of energy
The short-term solution is to use the grid more intelligently, for example, by creating energy hubs. He compares grid congestion to a traffic jam. "Creating an extra lane is the long-term solution, but leaving before or after rush hour is possible immediately. Energy hubs work on the same principle: you agree with a group of companies on when and who will use the power. That's how you avoid the 'energy jam.'"

Heating a neighborhood with residual heat
Another solution is reusing heat. "Everyone knows how quickly the temperature rises in data centers. Why not reuse that heat, for example, by transferring it to water via a heat exchanger and then transporting it to a residential area?" Stevens explains. "That way, you kill two birds with one stone: local residents are happy, because their homes are heated for free. Data centers are happy too, because they get rid of their heat and get cold water in return. This means they need less cooling and it also saves energy. Experiments with residual heat are already underway in Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Eindhoven, and the initial feedback is positive."

Gas turbines and hydrogen
Stevens is visibly enthusiastic when he talks about the possibilities. "Nationwide, there are all sorts of sustainable initiatives to relieve the burden on the power grid. Think of using gas turbines to generate electricity, or using hydrogen as an alternative to diesel and gas. The data center sector is leading the way nationally. While these are interim solutions, they do contribute to a greener society."

Privacy violations
Besides grid congestion, Stevens believes data sovereignty is a major challenge for the data center sector. Dutch companies must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Different rules apply when data is stored or processed outside the EU.. Stevens: “Companies that have their registered office outside Europe fall under a different jurisdiction and this has major consequences for the privacyMany countries don't take data protection very seriously. Google and TikTok, for example, read everything. We know this, yet we continue to use these technologies because they're familiar and free. But at what price? My advice: keep your data within Europe as much as possible, because then you're covered by EU law.

Potential danger
This may seem obvious, but according to Stevens, a large part of the Dutch business community relies on the American cloud. This is evident from NOS research that 69 of the 97 organizations surveyed have their emails hosted by an American company. Stevens: “We make calls via Teams, we use Outlook for emails and we store our data in the cloud Like Amazon or Google. All American companies. Of course, Europe isn't the be-all and end-all, but what I advocate for is data sovereignty. Many entrepreneurs don't realize how dependent they are on foreign tech giants and the potential danger this entails. Abuse of power is lurking, especially with the rise in geopolitical tensions.

Stevens continues: "During the coronavirus pandemic, organizations ran into problems because they could no longer import certain components from China. This can also happen in the digital domain. By considering multiple options, you prevent business processes from being jeopardized if one service fails. Imagine: you suddenly can't access your Outlook email. What do you do then? What alternative program do you use for your business communications? It's important to document this in writing. Don't wait until a disaster strikes to think about it; create a plan. backup plan for all your digital applications.”

Step-by-step plan

Stevens and his colleagues are working on an approach. “We will soon be launching a website about data sovereignty with concrete tips that you can apply immediately. The first step is to raise awareness and create an overview of all your digital applications. The next step is to establish European or open source Proposing alternatives, such as Signal instead of Teams, Vimeo as an alternative to YouTube, and so on. The perfect alternative doesn't exist because no party is 100% independent. You might have to compromise on functionality or dig a little deeper. But you're back in control, and that's what matters.