The Law and Tech Research Cluster is pleased to announce that Dr. Edoardo Celeste has been selected as one of the eleven Hi! PARIS International Visiting Chairs for 2026, joining a distinguished cohort of international researchers working at the forefront of artificial intelligence and data science. During his visit, Edoardo will collaborate with Dr. Thomas Le Goff at Télécom Paris on the project “Governing Data Centres in the EU: Sustainability, Competitiveness and Strategic Autonomy in the Age of AI.”
The appointment recognises the growing importance of research examining the legal and policy challenges posed by Europe’s rapidly expanding digital infrastructure. As artificial intelligence drives unprecedented demand for computing power, data centres have become a critical component of the EU’s digital ecosystem. At the same time, concerns relating to energy consumption, environmental sustainability, digital sovereignty, and economic competitiveness have placed data centre governance high on the European policy agenda.
The Hi! PARIS Visiting Chair will support the ongoing Governing Data Centres in the EU (GDC) project, an Irish-French research initiative coordinated by the Law and Tech Research Cluster at Dublin City University and Télécom Paris. The project seeks to establish a European observatory on data centre governance and to develop legal and policy recommendations capable of reconciling the EU’s ambitions for strategic autonomy with its twin digital and green transitions.
Led by Edoardo Celeste and Thomas Le Goff, the project adopts an interdisciplinary approach combining legal, policy, engineering, and sustainability perspectives. Particular attention is devoted to the governance of strategic data centres supporting critical sectors such as healthcare and defence, as well as the broader regulatory framework governing the sustainable development of digital infrastructure across Europe.
The Hi! PARIS International Visiting Chairs Programme supports leading researchers from institutions around the world in undertaking collaborative research with French partners on cutting-edge AI and data science projects. The 2026 cohort brings together scholars from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, and Australia, reflecting the programme’s commitment to international scientific collaboration and interdisciplinary innovation.
