Momentum continues to build for the North East Data Centre Hub, with the forum confirming John Wilson of Cobalt Data Centres, as speaker for its fourth event, taking place at Freight Island in Newcastle on Thursday 10th September 2026.
Following three previous events that each attracted over 150 attendees, the Hub has established itself as the region’s leading forum for data centre professionals, connecting businesses, stakeholders and experts across the North East’s growing supply chain.
This event will build on that momentum with a session titled “From AI Ambition to AI Infrastructure: What Makes a Region Data Centre Ready?”, exploring why the North East has emerged as a serious location for AI and data centre investment, and what needs to be in place, and continue to grow, to support it.
The session will be led by John Wilson of Cobalt Data Centres, who brings over 35 years’ experience in complex, mission-critical systems, data centres and fibre optic networks.
Rather than focusing on individual projects, the session will take a practical look at what data centre and AI/HPC environments actually require to develop, at scale and at pace, with the breadth of capability the region’s supply chain will need to support growth.
Having been part of the team that secured the regional AI Growth Zone (AIGZ) designation – a team that included QTS, NEMSA and the leading regional universities – John Wilson states:
“This is a real moment for the North East. We need to talk about what ‘data centre ready’ actually means in practice – the infrastructure, the skills, and the ecosystem a region needs to compete for AI investment – and why this region already has some strong foundations to build on.”
The North East Data Centre Hub is a collaborative not-for-profit forum founded by RED Engineering Design, Cleveland Cable Company, CMP Products, Durata, Daikin Applied (UK) Ltd and RWO. The Hub exists to champion regional capability, strengthen the local supply chain and position the North East as a key player in the UK’s data centre ecosystem.
The Hub will welcome guests to Freight Island, one of Newcastle’s newest venues, offering a flexible event space in the heart of the city.
Professionals interested in attending the next North East Data Centre Hub event can register here.
Those who would like to stay informed can also sign up for updates here: NEDCH
