Thursday 27 August | 14:30 - 16:00 | Hotel Haven, Helsinki

Data Centre Opportunities in Africa

Africa's data centre capacity is on track to triple by 2030.

Finnish companies are well positioned to compete.

The market offers opportunities for Data Centre solutions and technology, design and engineering, energy, cooling, network infrastructure and other relevant offerings.

The Embassy of Finland in Pretoria has mapped the opportunity company by company and project by project.

You are warmly invited to the presentation of this Market Research and to learn about these opportunities.

Audience members raise their hands during a presentation

Africa's data centre market is on track to triple by 2030 and Finnish companies are already winning business in it.

Join the Embassy of Finland in Pretoria, HAUS Finnish Institute for Public Management, and the Finnish Data Centre Association on 27 August for the launch of a new market research report mapping the African data centre opportunity, company by company and project by project.

You will leave with a clear picture of where the market is moving, which projects are live in design right now, and what the most direct entry routes look like for Finnish companies in power engineering, cooling, network infrastructure, structural systems, and design consultancy.

This event is for Finnish companies in the data centre supply chain: equipment and power suppliers, engineering and design consultancies, and specialist systems providers who want to understand a fast-moving market before their competitors do.

Attendance is free. Places are limited.

Register to secure your seat.

Agenda

14:00

Coffee and registration

14:30 - start

Welcome note

15 minutes

Embassy of Finland, Pretoria 5 min — why this market, why now, why the Embassy commissioned this research

HAUS 5 min — the Digital Investment Facility and European capital flows into African digital infrastructure

FDCA 5 min — what the Finnish data centre industry is hearing from its members about Africa

14:45

Report presentation

25 minutes — Camilo Ramada, Embassy of Finland in Pretoria

Why Africa, why now (5 min)

The AI compute supercycle, Gulf and EU capital flows, the connectivity tipping point. Why investment is reaching the continent ahead of domestic demand — and what that means for suppliers.

Where Finnish companies fit (15 min)

The confirmed position: Eaton at Teraco, Nokia in Morocco and South Africa. The structural energy argument: African DCs cannot depend on national grids — a design requirement that maps directly onto Wärtsilä, Hitachi Energy Finland, VEO, Sitema, and Aurelia Turbines. The design consultancy route: why Ramboll, Sweco, and Granlund need to be at the table before specifications are locked.

How to enter (5 min)

The two-track strategy. The specific projects live in design now. The specific Finnish instruments that reduce first-mover risk.

15:10

From the field

10 minutes — Company testimony, Eaton or Nokia or Naficon representative

What it actually took to achieve a confirmed sale in this market. No slides. Direct experience, followed by one or two questions from the floor before formal Q&A opens.

15:20

Q&A

30 minutes — Moderated by FDCA

Opening question: "The report identifies the EPC-gatekeeper layer as the highest-leverage entry point. For companies in this room, what would that relationship actually look like in practice?"

15:50

Closing and next steps

10 minutes — Camilo Ramada, Embassy of Finland in Pretoria

Report download link. Introduction to Business Finland Global EPC Team. HAUS on the DIF pipeline as a route to project promoters and financiers. Open invitation for one-to-one follow-up conversations.

16:00 - 17:00 Networking reception

End

Market Research

Learn more about the market research by clicking the link below.

Read

Details

Date: Thursday, 27 August 2026

Time: 14:30 - 16:00

Place: Hotel Haven, Unioninkatu 17, 00130 Helsinki

Open event location, Urho Kekkosen katu 1, in Google Maps