Speakers at the II. H1 DC Meetup – Sustainable transition in digital infrastructure

Our 2nd H1 DC meetup event, scheduled for 15 February 2024, will focus on the now inescapable carbon neutrality requirements. Its implementation goes hand in hand with sustainability, energy efficiency and green electricity. The challenge is to ensure that during this transition the digital infrastructure remains resilient, uninterrupted and available. Our speakers will explore the latest trends in digital infrastructure through international regulatory pressures, research findings, case studies and practical experiences. Let’s see the experts who come to the H1 Systems HQ.

TOR BJÖRN MINDE – ICE – Director, Head of Datacenter Unit

One of the founders of the Swedish Datacenter Industry Association, he was previously Head of Research Strategy at Ericsson Research, where he gained 35 years of experience. Currently, he is Director of ICE Datacenter unit at the royal Research Institutes of Sweden, RISE, and also holds an adjunct professorship at Luleå University of Technology. As a research leader, he has also been involved in the development of the international award-winning BTDCONE, known as the world’s most energy-efficient data centre. Tor Björn has also been awarded Top30 global thought leaders in edge computing and IM100 digital infrastructure leaders. With a recent focus on large-scale cloud, edge, AI and big data infrastructures, he will bring to our event the latest research on the technologies and professional directions that will shape the industry’s near future.

TOMAS RAHKONEN – Uptime Institute – Research Director

Tomas Rahkonen is a Research Director at Uptime Institute, where he focuses on sustainability including impacts from European Union directives on digital infrastructure. Dr. Rahkonen has spent over 25 years in global positions in the telecommunications, mobile communications, and data center sectors. He served over 10 years as a chief technical officer, managing the design and delivery of prefab data centers to four continents. He lives in Stockholm, Sweden and holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Power Systems (KTH) and an M.Sc. in Computer Science and Engineering (specializing in Neural Networks).

ANDRÁS RIDEG – PWC – Senior Expert Energy & Utilities Advisory

The lead energy expert at PwC has nearly three decades of experience in industrial project development, procurement support, and permitting in the energy, utilities, oil and gas, and industrial sectors. He is a mechanical engineer, energy efficiency expert, and an energy auditor certified by the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority. He also has extensive expertise in environmental protection design and in environmental law, as well as in permitting management. Thanks to his cross-industry experience, they deliver presentations on domestic policy directions and the guarantees of green energy sources.

ZOLTÁN BÁLINT – Giganet – CEO

The founder and CEO of Giganet Ltd. has built the company over 22 years and now the company serves 6000 residential and 300 SME customers with IT and telecommunications services. Their goal is to provide services that benefit customers, the environment, and society. Zoltán is a member of the supervisory board of the Internet Service Providers’ Council. As part of the Datacenter project launched in 2020, a 300 m² technological area of the SZÜV central office building, constructed in 1986, was renovated, expanding Giganet’s telecommunications portfolio to include hosting services. The synergy of these two service branches will serve the IT needs of local SMEs. At the meetup comprehensive insights into the project’s execution and operational experiences, with a focus on sustainability and energy efficiency, can be gained with the help of the company’s CEO.

GERGELY KATONA – Invitech – Senior Manager of Data Center Operations and Development

The expert, who participated in the construction and Uptime certification of the country’s first TIER III data center, possesses extensive knowledge in data center development projects, fulfilling roles in project sponsorship, investment, quality assurance, project management, and architecture. He plays a vital role in the maintenance and operational structure of Invitech’s central data centers, as well as being responsible for certifications and audits.

GÁBOR TAKÁCS – H1 Systems – Data Center Design Lead

Ten years ago, Gábor Takács joined the team at H1 Systems dedicated to the operation of the data center at Wigner Research Centre for Physics, which was then Hungary’s largest and newly inaugurated data center. He has participated in several significant international projects as a mechanical designer, including the 2023 inauguration of a 12,000 m² Vietnamese TIER III organizational center, the world’s most energy-efficient data center: the Swedish BTDC ONE, and Hungary’s first TIER III data center at Invitech. Accredited by the Uptime Institute as an Accredited Tier Designer (ATD) and the only expert in Hungary to be an Uptime Accredited Sustainability Advisor (ASA), he also holds comprehensive service engineering certifications for Vertiv and Rittal. Currently, he works as the data center design lead at H1 Systems.