Global Investment Summit 2026 to spotlight water’s role in digital economy

The 2026 Global Investment Summit, scheduled to take place in Paris on September 1 and 2, will feature a panel discussion titled “Water: The Hidden Infrastructure of the AI Era.” The session will explore the growing importance of water in powering data centers and digital infrastructure, and its direct impact on economies’ ability to expand artificial intelligence applications.

The panel will examine the shifts that have made water a strategic component of the digital economy, amid rapid growth in data centers and rising demand for computing power. Discussions will address cooling requirements, operational efficiency, resource sustainability, and highlight solutions and technologies that can reduce water consumption and improve management within digital facilities.

The session will also address the investment dimension of these changes, as the need grows for infrastructure that integrates energy, water, and technology. This integration aims to enhance cities’ and markets’ readiness to attract AI and data center investments, and to support the development of projects that are more resource-efficient and capable of sustainable expansion.

The summit will bring together over 2,000 participants and 100 speakers, with more than 10 main sessions and 40 bilateral meetings. Attendees will include officials, investors, business leaders, and economic institutions from around the world, providing a direct platform for dialogue on investment opportunities, building relationships between capital and promising sectors, and developing partnerships beyond traditional meetings.

Summit sessions will cover economic and investment topics shaping the future of global capital, including technology, artificial intelligence, energy, tourism, real estate, advanced industries, health, and the cultural and creative economy, as well as water, climate, and sustainability. This comes at a time when resource efficiency and infrastructure are increasingly important in evaluating investment opportunities and making funding decisions.

The summit will also announce a series of new initiatives in energy, culture, investment, and technology, along with programs related to sustainable development and the creative economy. These efforts aim to translate the outcomes of sessions and discussions into actionable projects and partnerships for the future.

By placing the “Water: The Hidden Infrastructure of the AI Era” session at the heart of the digital economy debate, the summit underscores water’s essential role in sustaining technical infrastructure and its influence on the ability of countries and companies to scale up AI. This opens new avenues for investment in water management technologies, high-efficiency cooling, and sustainable infrastructure.