Digital Sovereignty: Scaling Data Centers for an AI World

Innovation Partner Martin Durkin will speak at the 2026 Conference of Montreal (CDM), hosted by the International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) and sponsored by Holland & Knight. Now in its 32nd year, the annual conference brings together leaders from government, business, academia and civil society to foster dialogue and build solutions around the global economy, sustainability, energy, innovation and cross-border cooperation. Mr. Durkin's panel will focus on the rise of data centers and the resources needed to advance the data center buildout. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to embed itself into everyday operations, data centers are taking center stage amid global competition for strategic infrastructure – and creating demand in cloud capacity, AI training and secure digital services. The presentation will explore how government and industry leaders can accelerate data center development while preserving security and long-term value; speakers will touch on regulatory and governance frameworks for protecting sensitive data and reinforcing digital sovereignty, as well as ways to deploy capital, efficiently approve permitting and construction, and attract talent. The session will impart international perspectives on an issue that strikes at the heart of the global technological landscape.