Ireland dreams of being the world’s data centre

Chris White of Microsoft, speaking at the Data Summit

The government hosted the inaugural Data Summit in June, hoping to signal Ireland’s readiness for a world where data is more valuable than cash.

The event, held in Dublin’s Convention Centre on June 15 and 16, was opened by Dara Murphy, then minister of state for the EU Digital Single Market and Data Protection, and featured representatives from the global tech sector, including Microsoft, IBM, the European Space Agency, Facebook and BT Ireland.