As we head into a new year, C-levels across Europe are preparing for suspected changes and unprecedented demands across all industries and sectors. We hear from leading experts who share how the rapid rise of AI, sustainability pressures and the demand for secure networks are set to redefine IT strategies in 2025.
Noam Rosen, EMEA Director, HPC & AI, Lenovo ISG
Demand for energy-efficient computing in the IT sector will soar in 2025, fuelled by the power-intensive demands of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the increasing focus on sustainability. IT leaders face mounting pressure to reduce both carbon footprints and energy costs – not only due to ESG regulations but also from customers and investors. In 2025 and beyond, businesses will embrace energy-efficient computing through quick wins, such as adopting more efficient hardware, as well as long-term strategies powered by innovative technologies.
Maximising efficiency from existing hardware will be essential, particularly through algorithm optimisation. However, IT leaders must also embrace replacing outdated, inefficient systems with modern, energy-efficient alternatives that offer superior performance per watt, and tangible carbon savings. Accurate measurement of IT-related emissions is crucial, requiring investment in tracking tools to pinpoint and address inefficiencies in systems or applications.
In data centres, liquid cooling technology is seeing rapid adoption to support the widespread deployment of AI. This shift is driven by the increasing use of energy-intensive GPUs and CPUs, rising server power density and the decreasing safe operating temperatures of chips. With air cooling proving insufficient, liquid cooling delivers superior efficiency for both internal server operations and perimeter cooling, effectively managing heat across the entire data centre. As AI adoption accelerates, liquid cooling is becoming increasingly indispensable.
Dave Mosley, CEO, Seagate
The AI boom will demand greater trust in the data, not just in scale. According to McKinsey’s Global Survey on AI, 72% of organisations worldwide have integrated AI technology into at least one business function. This trend is particularly evident in Europe, where 90% of professionals report using generative AI tools for work or personal reasons. But AI can only be trusted if the data behind it is trustworthy.
Whether it’s from capturing training checkpoints to saving source data sets, the more data we retain during the process, the more we can validate AI is trustworthy. That data therefore needs to be available long term, not just to comply with evolving legal requirements but also to ensure that inference is explainable.
Recent Deloitte research found users are still reluctant to trust AI, particularly in high-stakes, complex decisions. To counter this, companies applying trustworthy AI principles, including focusing on governance, regulatory compliance and education, will face a mass data surge, which means scalable storage innovations are more critical to the AI ecosystem than ever before.
Sandeep Raithatha, Head of Strategy, Innovation & 5G IoT Products, Virgin Media O2 Business
Private network adoption will significantly accelerate in 2025, with the market projected to reach US$6.4 billion by 2026. Standalone private 5G networks are expected to capture 40% (US$2.8 billion) of investments, while the Shared Rural Network extends 4G coverage to 95% of UK landmass.
As a result, we will see businesses increasingly adopt private 5G networks for secure, high-performance communication, specifically in industries like manufacturing, healthcare, education and smart cities, which will leverage private 5G networks for secure automation and real-time operations.
When it comes to private networks, we will also see the emergence of network slicing as the next evolution of private networks, enabled by 5G standalone architecture. This technology will allow for the creation of multiple virtual networks on a shared physical infrastructure, each tailored to specific business needs. This will provide high-quality connectivity and also empower organisations to continue delivering exceptional service while ensuring their connectivity solutions are both scalable and cost-efficient.
Steve Young, UK Senior Vice President & Managing Director, Dell Technologies
2024 was a year of discovery as businesses experimented with GenAI tools, while 2025 is set to be the year AI shifts from exploration to execution.
For many, the test-and-learn phase is already starting to pay off, with 70% of UK companies seeing ROI from GenAI in at least one use case. And over the next year, enterprises will continue to see real ROI as they scale AI.
For UK verticals like healthcare, education, government and retail, which are all ripe for AI-driven innovation – the time has come to move from pilot projects to scaled solutions. However, to see true ROI, UK businesses must apply AI technology only to the most impactful processes in their most important functions. The focus should shift to developing tailored, scalable AI applications that solve current challenges while also positioning companies for future opportunities.
What this means: If your AI strategy isn’t clearly defined yet, make it your top priority in 2025. Tools are maturing at an incredible pace, and businesses that fail to adapt risk falling behind.
Patrick Smith, Field CTO, EMEA, Pure Storage
Sustainability goals will be put at risk by AI and the incoming wave of data centres. As the demand for AI and associated data storage continues to grow, sustainability is once again going to be in the spotlight. As AI drove greater use of computing resources, which harmed energy reduction goals, sustainability was sidelined. But now, it is rising through the corporate agenda. How organisations view and implement sustainable practices is once again going to be on upper management’s radar. I foresee the following issues:
- More organisations will discuss their energy transition and how they are going to power the increased demand for data centres. With some of the largest companies adopting nuclear energy to meet these demands, there will be more scrutiny on this decision
- As a method to highlight the impact of sustainability, impact accounting will become widely adopted at a senior level. As it focuses attention on environmental issues and associated costs, it will become the de facto means of calling out the benefits of sustainability initiatives in a language the C-suite and board will understand
- There will be a drive to build more data centres across many countries, driven in part by new governments enacting their Sovereign Cloud mandates. However, how to power these and maintain both sustainability goals and ensure there’s enough power for powering homes and businesses will stay firmly in the spotlight
