The DC_Risk_City Research Project is organizing
The DC_Risk_City research project is organizing its
1st Scientific Conference on the multifactorial risks
associated with the deployment of data centers in France
Friday, November 13, 2026
Campus des Grands Moulins à Paris
Condorcet Building, 4 rue Elsa Morante – 75013 Paris
room 454A
The event is held in French.
Registration is free but required for access. Please register here.
9:00 a.m.: “From the dot-com bubble to the AI boom: the physical and political trajectory of data centers in France”, Clément Marquet (Center for the Sociology of Innovation, Mines Paris -PSL, UMR 9217)
Over the past two years, as investment in data centers has reached unprecedented levels, many countries have been working to attract investment in infrastructure dedicated to generative artificial intelligence technologies. This competition has led to the transformation of governmental mechanisms governing data center deployment and an increase in local conflict. To understand the ramifications of the “AI moment” on regions and public policy, this paper examines the material history of data center deployments and protests in Plaine Commune and Marseille, as well as the recent convergence of French government policies aimed at securing investment.
11:00 a.m.: “Understanding and Governance of Data Centers”
Panel discussion featuring contributions from:
- Benoît Petit (co-founder of Hubblo.org) : DCWatch, a collaborative observatory designed to measure the environmental impact of data centers in France.
- Gianluca Marzilli (Institut Paris Region): the Data Center Observatory in the Île-de-France region
- A local government representative (to be confirmed): How to respond to the surge in data centers?
The DC_Risk_City Interdisciplinary Research Project
The DC_Risk_City project examines the socio-ecological functioning of data centers and the multifactorial risks associated with their implementation from the perspective of resilient, resource-efficient cities. The project questions the metabolic footprint of these critical digital infrastructures, the factors that drive their industrial and financialized production and operation, and the geopolitics of their multilevel governance. The project takes an interdisciplinary approach, combining social sciences and engineering to conduct multiscale analyses that incorporate various territorial configurations. The project promotes dialogue between science and society and includes an online platform and forward-looking workshops. This research is co-funded by the PEPR Villes Durables et Bâtiments Innovants.
