Data Center World 2026 — Session Guide

Australia is rapidly emerging as one of the most strategically important and compelling data centre markets in the Asia-Pacific region. With a powerful combination of grid stability, political certainty, and an expanding pipeline of renewable energy, Australia is positioning itself as a trusted hub for high‑density, AI‑ready infrastructure. Its stable regulatory environment, proximity to fast‑growing Asia-Pacific markets, and increasing government support for digital transformation further strengthen the opportunity. As federal and state-level initiatives accelerate connections, expand transmission, and streamline approvals, the market is primed for its next wave of hyperscale, sovereign cloud, and AI-driven growth. Join our panel of ecosystem insiders as they explore the forces reshaping this dynamic landscape — from energy and infrastructure innovation to investment momentum and cross‑sector partnership opportunities. Together, they'll unpack where the market is headed next and why global operators, investors, and enterprises are turning their attention Down Under. After the panel, attendees are invited to stay and network via a cocktail reception.

Join us as we honor the 2026 Data Center World Lifetime Achievement Award winner: Joe Kava. This is a leader who has made significant contributions to the industry – demonstrating mentorship, dedication to sustainability, and promotion of innovative technologies and processes in the data center.

The soaring demand for AI workloads is actively reshaping the data center industry, and executives from across the digital infrastructure ecosystem need to craft new strategies for a market defined by scale, speed, and reinvention. This keynote session brings together top technology and business executives to take you inside the C-suite conversations about today's critical strategy decisions, examining what it really takes to build, operate, and grow in the AI era. The conversation will explore how data center providers, enterprise leaders, and infrastructure partners are responding to new realities around data center design, energy and power, customer expectations, and even community relationships. Attendees will hear practical perspectives on where the data center market is headed, what decisions matter most right now, and how digital infrastructure leaders can meet the challenge of AI-driven transformation.

AI facilities are no longer scaling like conventional data centers. As rack densities move from tens of kilowatts toward hundreds, operators are managing a new class of infrastructure challenge: power, thermal, controls, white space, and services now behave as one interdependent system. In this session, Scott Armul will present a practical operator framework for planning and scaling AI infrastructure as a physical AI engine, where the facility itself becomes part of the compute equation.   The session will address four realities shaping AI deployments today: extreme densification, compressed time-to-capacity (time to token), rapid campus-scale expansion, and the operational risk created by disparate systems. Scott will outline how operators can reduce these risks by shifting from component-by-component decisions to a converged infrastructure approach that integrates the power train, thermal chain, and controls/services layer as a coordinated system.   Attendees will also see how repeatable AI building blocks—such as 12.5 MW units scaled into larger campus architectures—can improve deployment predictability, reduce onsite complexity, and preserve flexibility across future compute generations. The emphasis is on operational outcomes: faster deployment, better utilization, and lower integration friction at scale.   Attendees will leave with three takeaways:      1. A clear framework for treating AI facilities as integrated physical systems, not isolated infrastructure domains.            2. A practical scaling model for using repeatable building blocks to accelerate deployment while maintaining flexibility. 3. An operator-focused approach to converged power, thermal, and controls integration that improves reliability, efficiency, and time-to-capacity.

The AI-driven shift toward ultra-high-density racks and mandatory liquid cooling has exposed the limits of traditional analysis methods. CFD alone doesn't capture hydronic dynamics, while 1D hydraulic tools miss critical airflow and transient interactions. This session introduces co-simulation: the integrated use of CFD and transient hydraulic modeling, which delivers a holistic, dynamic view of the entire cooling ecosystem. Attendees will learn how co-simulation quantifies risks, evaluates design resiliency, validates SLAs, and right-sizes critical infrastructure like thermal energy storage, pumps, and UPS systems. Unlike conventional approaches, this technique provides actionable insights into transient conditions, digital twin development, and [virtual] commissioning strategies for liquid-cooled data centers. The audience will leave with a clear framework for applying co-simulation to de-risk designs and optimize AI-ready facilities.

The data center industry is changing faster than at any point in its history. Record-breaking demand from AI, unprecedented rack densities, new power constraints, and a global race to build capacity have completely rewritten what 'Data Center 101' means in 2025 and 2026. This session brings newcomers and seasoned pros into the same room for a hands-on masterclass where we will design a modern data center together and unpack the fundamentals through the lens of today's reality. We will break down the core components of digital infrastructure while exploring the forces reshaping everything from site selection to cooling strategy. Expect to dive into AI clusters, liquid cooling, next-generation GPUs, new sources of power like hydrogen and nuclear, and the operational challenges that come with running facilities that routinely push past 50 to 100 kW per rack. If you want a practical, engaging, and future-focused guide to building and operating data centers in the AI era, this is it. Come ready to learn, collaborate, and rethink what a 'standard' data center looks like in a world that refuses to slow down.

Data Centers are microgrids. They meet the definition simply by having onsite generators and being able to disconnect from the grid. The microgrid configurations become much more significant when Bring Your Own Power (BYOP) is introduced and onsite generation is considered for data centers and data center campuses. Flexibility - load management and load shifting - are key components of the microgrid as well. These behind the meter resources for power are important for meeting new rules and regulations for interconnection to the grid by PUCs and ISOs and for avoiding adverse actions as curtailment of power from the grid. The data center as a microgrid requires advanced controls and energy management systems with special attention to: - system controls - multiple generators, storage, other distributed energy resources, SMR - energy management - power exchanges with the grid and markets - stability during islanding - implementation of operational interfaces with utilities - forecasting for operational contingencies. This Session will introduce a reference model and emerging standards for the data center as microgrid and present the fundamentals of controls and energy management for successful operation of Behind the Meter Power for data centers.

AI campuses are tipping into the gigawatt era, forcing hard choices across three levers: power, liquid cooling, and water. This panel, Hashem Moud (Stok), Bill Hassel (Turner Construction), and Pingbo Tang (Carnegie Mellon University), turns field experience and cross-disciplinary research into a pragmatic 2030 playbook. We'll map how grid-interactive alternative power solutions (hybrid onsite + offsite, storage-backed operations, and demand-flex controls) reshape reliability, capacity planning, and carbon claims. On cooling, we'll compare 'liquid-by-default' paths (direct-to-chip, rear-door, and two-phase) through the lenses of density thresholds, retrofit vs. greenfield integration, water treatment and materials compatibility, and O&M realities. On water, we'll go beyond Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) toward true circular use: non-potable sourcing, treatment-and-reuse loops, and adiabatic-free designs. The discussion centers on embodied vs. operational impacts, vendor lock-in risks, commissioning pitfalls, and disclosure-ready KPIs that connect facilities teams to sustainability reporting. Attendees will leave with decision tools, sample RFP language, and a first-90-days checklist to de-risk AI-scale buildouts while cutting carbon, conserving water, and protecting time-to-capacity. We'll also cover governance and org design: who owns hydraulics, who owns power markets, and how to align incentives across design, construction, operations, and finance.

As Open Rack V3 (ORv3) architectures evolve to support higher density AI workloads and centralized power delivery, data centers are facing new environmental management challenges. Higher thermal loads and changing airflow patterns require more precise monitoring of temperature, humidity, pressure, and potential water leak conditions. Updated Open Compute Project (OCP) specifications further reinforce the need for tighter environmental control to ensure performance and reliability at scale. In this session, Jason Chantelau will share insights into our latest ORv3 power infrastructure—including advancements in power shelf design and controller firmware—and how these innovations help operators maintain the environmental stability required for next generation AI deployments. Attendees at the talk will be able to: 1. Understand the environmental challenges introduced by high density ORv3 rack designs, including thermal variability and the need for more precise monitoring. 2. Learn how next generation ORv3 power shelf and controller firmware architectures enable advanced power quality insights and sensor integration. 3. See how the ORv3 Smart Rack Controller enhances operational visibility and reliability through comprehensive monitoring of temperature, humidity, pressure, and leak-detection conditions.

Integrated Approaches to Enhance Cooling, Power, and Control Efficiency for Optimal PUE Improvement 3 Takeaways 1. Two-phase chip cooling (Cold Plate, CDU) and fanless servers 2. Air-cooled centrifugal chiller (refrigerant freecooling method) 3. Integrated control (energy savings through hybrid control of air cooling and liquid cooling)

AI-scale, massively parallel GPU computing is forcing a fundamental redesign of the data center. What was once planned as a building that houses IT is now being engineered as an integrated computer system—where power, cooling, controls, and physical layout must be optimized as one architecture. This marks a shift from facility-centric design to compute-centric design: the data center is no longer just the container for compute, but an active part of the compute platform itself. As workloads scale and rack densities rise, infrastructure decisions increasingly determine performance, deployment speed, and operational efficiency. This session will outline the design implications of that shift and show how converged physical infrastructure improves speed-to-capacity, reduces integration risk, and delivers more predictable performance at scale.

The data center industry is expanding at a breakneck speed, driven by the demands of AI and cloud computing. While most of the focus has been on the build-out, a critical operational gap is widening. This panel will address the urgent need for robotic automation in data center operations to manage this new scale. We will discuss how automation is no longer a luxury but a necessity for ensuring technician safety, guaranteeing physical and data security, and delivering on the promise of 99.9% uptime. This session will provide a clear-eyed view of the challenges and deliver actionable strategies for implementing automation, helping to move our industry forward and build greater end-user confidence in an AI-driven world.

Unprecedented demand driven by AI, high-performance computing, and digital services is reshaping the energy landscape and placing data centers at the forefront of innovation. No longer just energy consumers, data centers are active grid participants, dictating the distribution of power and serving as operators crucial to modern day functions. Amid grid constraints, operators are investing in renewables and pioneering onsite generation to secure reliable supply. The growing need for constant power has developers and owners rethinking grid design, site selection, and data center design, while accelerating investments in alternative energy strategies, including solar and wind, SMRs, hydro power. In this session, CyrusOne's SVP of Energy and Location Strategy Gene Alessandrini will explore how data centers are meeting the demand for 24/7 power generation, while building resilience into energy strategies. He will discuss how centers are navigating grid challenges, driving new models of energy procurement, deploying onsite generation, and leading sustainable integration to keep our digital-first world running. Attendees will also gain insights into the critical importance that partnerships with utilities and power companies play today as well as the evolving regulatory considerations, and the technologies shaping the future of energy resilience for the sector.

As quantum computing advances, both private enterprises and government agencies face a critical security deadline. Today's encrypted data can be collected now and decrypted later once large-scale quantum computers become operational. This session examines how data centers can prepare for the post-quantum era by focusing on practical, technical, and regulatory readiness. Attendees will gain insights into the latest updates on NIST's post-quantum cryptography standards for 2025 and the NSA CNSA 2.0 timelines. The discussion will include migration strategies for data centers, highlighting how to achieve crypto-agility and implement hybrid models that combine classical encryption with post-quantum cryptographic algorithms. The session will also analyze the risk implications for both regulated industries, such as finance and healthcare, as well as for government and defense workloads. Additional focus will be given to the technical and operational challenges of deploying post-quantum cryptography across high-density AI clusters, sovereign clouds, and edge data centers. Ultimately, it will examine how public and private sector collaboration can enhance readiness while ensuring compliance with global regulatory requirements. By the conclusion, participants will have a clear roadmap for securing data centers against quantum threats, balancing compliance, cryptographic agility, and long-term resilience.

Our Spark Sessions provide a high-energy forum to let you soak up three big ideas in one conference session. In this session, three speakers will each cover a key emerging topic in the Data Center Build track: • How adaptive reuse turned an idle plant into a 24 MW AI hub in less than a year (Mark Hamilton, TECFusions) • Why cable landing stations must evolve to better link subsea connectivity, terrestrial backhaul, and AI-ready capacity (Joel Ogren, Assured Communications) • Why workforce housing has become a major risk factor for remote data center builds and how the industry's addressing it (Troy Schrenk, Target Hospitality)

As AI applications grow in complexity and scale, the demand for efficient cooling and power solutions in data centers has never been greater. This class explores the latest technologies and strategies for optimizing existing data centers to meet the rigorous requirements of AI workloads as they uplevel their air containment, liquid cooling, and power solutions strategies to support higher power densities. Learn more about how cutting-edge solutions such as liquid cooling, immersion cooling, and power management can help meet the demands of high-power and high-density computing environments today. The class will cover specific performance thresholds and benchmarks that define successful AI operations, providing actionable guidance on selecting and implementing the right technologies. Special emphasis will be placed on planning for new and retrofitting existing data centers, highlighting how to integrate new cooling and power systems without disrupting current operations. Attendees will gain insights into key challenges data centers are facing today in thermal management, power consumption, and infrastructure limitations. Gain the knowledge needed to enhance data center efficiency, reduce operational costs, and future-proof their facilities against the evolving demands of AI technologies.

Protecting & Cooling Your GPUs with a Rack Containment Architecture As GPU clusters push rack densities past 50, 80, even 200 kW, the question is no longer just 'how do you cool it' — it's 'how do you protect a $1M+ asset when something goes wrong?' Traditional room-level cooling and suppression systems weren't designed for this problem. Rack containment was. In this session, DDC Solutions Chief Engineer Tom Demitras draws on two decades of mechanical and electrical systems engineering — including hands-on design of the S-Series platform — to walk through the architecture, thermal mechanics, and real-world deployment considerations behind rack-level containment. Attendees will learn how the S-Series approach seals, cools, and safeguards each cabinet as an independent environment, eliminating cross-rack failure risk, removing the need for raised floors or overhead water infrastructure, and creating a future-ready foundation that scales from standard IT density to 1MW per rack with hybrid air and direct-liquid-to-chip cooling. Tom will cover both the S-4 (enterprise and mixed-density environments, up to 85 kW airside) and the newly launched S-5 (purpose-built for next-gen GPU clusters at 100 kW airside, 42' wide) and GPUVault (a compact three-cabinet solution for retrofit sites with ceiling or MEP constraints), grounding each in specific deployment scenarios and engineering tradeoffs. Three Takeaways for Attendees 1. Why rack-level containment is a fundamentally different architecture — not an upgrade to traditional cooling, but a replacement of the room-level assumption entirely. Each cabinet becomes a sealed, independently cooled and fire-suppressed unit, so a thermal event or suppression activation in one rack doesn't cascade or take down a facility. 2. How to spec the right S-Series configuration for your environment — understanding the engineering differences between S-4, S-5, and GPUVault, including form factor, airflow mechanics, CDU integration paths, and the deployment constraints (ceiling height, chilled water availability, rack width) that determine which solution fits. 3. How to future-proof your cooling infrastructure without a facility overhaul — the S-Series hybrid architecture lets operators start with airside cooling today and add liquid-to-chip capability in the same footprint as density grows, protecting capital investment while staying ahead of next-generation GPU roadmaps (H100 → B200 → GB200 and beyond).

As AI workloads intensify and rack power densities continue to increase, data centers are experiencing significant new pressures on their electrical and facility infrastructure. Meeting these rapidly evolving requirements demands a higher degree of innovation, responsiveness, and system level adaptability. This session will examine why traditional power delivery approaches often fall short, particularly in terms of deployment speed, operational predictability, and cost control. Presenters will outline strategies for modernizing power architectures through the adoption of advanced technologies purpose-built for mission critical environments, with an emphasis on building scalable, energy efficient, high-power solutions that support long-term growth. The discussion will also highlight the role of modular design in optimizing electrical layouts and accelerating deployment. By integrating essential components into configurable, factory-built assemblies, operators can increase facility power load density, streamline installation, and shorten time to revenue.

We can no longer have an AI conversation without it being a Data Center conversation; we can no longer have a Data Center conversation without it being an energy conversation. The single largest determinant of AI's future and of consumer and enterprise uptake is the ability of AI players to power their ambitions, with clean and abundant power. This panel will cover the promise of Nuclear power to fill that need- both from the perspective of what is available now (fission), what is in the immediate future (SMRs and fusion test plants), and when we can expect the real prize- commercially viable fusion at scale.

Rapid AI and cloud growth are driving an unprecedented increase in energy demand from data centers. With operators striving towards sustainability targets, the intermittency of many renewable resources makes it difficult to guarantee the around-the-clock power that mission-critical facilities require. This has brought 'clean, firm power' to the forefront of data center energy strategy, which can be accomplished from renewable, baseload, power generation sources or by combining intermittent resources with long-duration energy storage. This panel brings together leading data center operators and technology innovators on the cutting edge of deploying solutions that provide clean, firm power. Speakers will share perspectives on technology readiness, financing and deployment pathways, and how these solutions fit into operators' broader sustainability and energy strategies. Attendees will leave with concrete decision criteria—technical, financial, and regulatory—to evaluate clean-firm options for new builds and expansions, and tactics to work with utilities and communities to accelerate deployment without sacrificing uptime. The panel will provide a clear view of the challenges and opportunities in adopting various energy solutions for data centers, and how forward-looking operators and technology providers are working together to unlock clean, firm power at scale.

Enterprises adopting AI will not succeed by relying on a single product or platform. They will require an ecosystem of partners that can deliver multiple layers of AI products and services—from model development and training tools to inference optimization, orchestration, and compliance support. The challenge is that these services only deliver value when they can operate with deterministic latency, predictable performance, and seamless integration across environments. This is where infrastructure becomes foundational. AI services must run on vendor neutral data center platforms that provide consistent power, thermal stability, and low-latency interconnection across providers. Without this neutral foundation, enterprises risk vendor lock-in, unpredictable workload performance, and fragmented ecosystems that slow adoption. This session will explore the considerations for building AI ecosystems on top of infrastructure that is open, neutral, and performance-guaranteed. We will discuss why deterministic latency and resilient interconnection are as critical as GPUs or models, and how enterprises can evaluate their partners and platforms to accelerate AI deployment. The key message: a thriving AI ecosystem depends not only on innovation in software and services, but on the neutrality and reliability of the infrastructure it runs on.

The rapid acceleration of data center build and AI investment has brought on concerns of a bubble amongst investors, politicians and even technology vendors. In this session we will debunk the myths and misconceptions of an AI bubble looking at adoption trends, development roadmaps and capacity requirments now and in the future. Practical case studies will be used to provide colour and breing each point to life. This will be an opportunity for anyone concerned about the pace of growth in the industry to check in with analysts studying it day in and day out.

Data centers are facing an unprecedented challenge: surging demand for AI and cloud services while power from the grid can take years to secure. Traditional interconnection timelines of five to ten years are out of step with how quickly new facilities need to come online. Distributed generation, supported by real estate and logistics companies, is changing the equation by delivering megawatts in months, not years. With vast land footprints, existing infrastructure and proximity to population centers, real estate platforms are uniquely positioned to host and scale on-premises microgrids, modular distributed generation and renewable energy. These capabilities are becoming essential tools for mission-critical digital infrastructure. A prime example is the Denker project in Southern California, where a logistics site deployed over 9 MW in less than a year despite significant utility delays. That same approach can be applied to data centers to accelerate speed-to-power while advancing sustainability goals. Attendees will walk away with practical insight into how distributed generation strategies, when paired with the scale and reach of real estate, can reduce risk and enhance resilience .

The data center industry is facing unprecedented challenges in scaling rapidly and efficiently to meet the surging demand driven by AI, cloud computing, and digital transformation. Join Douglas Mouton and Sean James, two hyperscale veterans with deep expertise in data center infrastructure and innovation, as they review and critique each other's latest white papers—'Principles of Scale: Strategies to Deliver Against Exponential Data Center Demand' by Doug Mouton and 'From chip to grid: what we need to modernize for the next generation of compute' by Sean James—on this critical topic. In a lively, Siskel and Ebert-style format, Doug and Sean will dissect the ideas, poke a little fun at each other's approaches, and spark compelling dialogue on solutions like modular construction, supply chain optimization, standardization, disruptive technologies, and rapid deployment strategies. Following the review, we'll open the floor for audience questions via QR code or direct from the floor to foster interactive discussion and insights.

Given the recent 'AI boom,' data centers have captured mainstream attention as an economic force—and mainstream scrutiny for the perceived levels of water and energy they consume. Largely due to community pushback, billions of dollars in planned projects have already been delayed or blocked amid concerns about their impact on local resources. To sustain our industry's rapid growth, data centers must demonstrate their ability to power the digital economy while remaining good neighbors. Including insights from Josh Claman (Accelsius), Austin Domenici (Johnson Controls), and Nick Schweissguth (Legrand), this panel will explore how industry leaders and policymakers can work together to properly balance performance, sustainability, and community impact. Key Takeaways: 1. Why being a 'good neighbor' is now essential for data center development. Community concerns around energy and water usage are increasingly influencing project approvals and investment timelines. 2. Why efficient AI infrastructure is gaining bipartisan policy support. Government initiatives are increasingly backing technologies that improve the sustainability of data center operations. 3. How cooling innovation dramatically reduces data center energy demand. Technologies like two-phase direct-to-chip liquid cooling address one of the largest contributors to facility energy usage.

This session reviews how GlassWorks™ AI enables AI infrastructure to scale across networks, through racks, and into the node as architectures evolve.

AI is accelerating demand for data centers at an unprecedented pace. But industry growth is colliding with an urgent global challenge: water scarcity. Less than 1% of the Earth's water is available as freshwater, and many ideal regions for data center development face extreme water stress. In the AI era, NIMBY opposition is growing, and regulators are scrutinizing impacts. Building data centers without water strategies is no longer an option. This session will explore the technologies, strategies, and narratives to help data centers meet this moment. Attendees will learn how data centers can scale responsibly by adopting advanced water solutions, ranging from zero liquid discharge to circular water systems, which turn wastewater into a resource while reducing dependence on local water supplies. The session will also address policy and infrastructure barriers, such as aging water systems, permitting challenges, and limited inter-agency collaboration, and explore how public-private cooperation can accelerate progress. Attendees will leave with an understanding of why water is the defining challenge for AI-driven growth, strategies for water neutrality in drought-prone regions, and how proactive engagement can build resilience within communities. As climate impacts intensify, water leadership will be the difference between data centers thriving and being pushed out.

Head down Data Center Alley and visit with leading data center solution providers. This is located just to the left of the entrance to the expo hall. Enjoy special treats throughout the week: • Tuesday – Popcorn Palooza! 2pm to 4pm • Wednesday – Cappuccinos and Lattes! 10am to 12pm * Thursday – Yummy Donuts! 10am to 12pm This is a great opportunity to learn about innovation in action.

Experience the thrill of the Golf Simulator on the expo floor at booth #1870, proudly sponsored by Voltaris Power. This exciting attraction features TRACKMAN ball flight tracker technology—the same cutting-edge system used at PGA Tour events—and Callaway golf clubs. Test your skills in the longest drive and closest-to-the-pin challenges or take your shot at the golden ball shootout competition for a chance to win the daily Grand Prize of $10,000 with a hole-in-one! While waiting for your turn at the Tee-box, be sure to speak with the team at Voltaris Power. Voltaris Power designs and delivers custom electrical power systems built around your needs — not the other way around. Powered by legacy companies Jefferson Electric and PCEP, Voltaris creates infrastructure that doesn't blink. From data centers to critical facilities, their custom systems — including Integrated Power Centers and PDU Transformers — deliver reliability, precision, and uninterrupted uptime.

We invite you to explore the **Innovation Alley**, located right outside the Expo Hall, where the **Innovation Challenge Finalists** are showcasing groundbreaking solutions and ideas. This is your chance to connect with visionary minds, experience cutting-edge technologies, and gain fresh insights that could transform your industry. Don't miss this unique opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired by the brightest innovators. Whether you're looking to spark new collaborations or simply witness the next big thing, Innovation Alley is the place to be. Plan your visit today and be part of the excitement!

What does it take to plan cloud capacity when your workloads span continents and evolve by the hour? This panel compares real-world strategies from hyperscale end-users in AI, streaming, and enterprise SaaS. Panelists will walk through how workloads land in data centers—from initial demand signals to final deployment—and how their planning processes have scaled with automation, telemetry, and predictive modeling. Special attention will be given to GPU-intensive workloads which are reshaping density, cooling, and rack-level design. Attendees will leave with a comparative map of how leading operators balance agility, efficiency, and scale for first and 3rd party customers.

As the data center industry expands into new markets, many communities are trying to get up to speed on how to balance the benefits with the infrastructure and political challenges of attracting digital infrastructure to their community. In this session, public sector officials/economic developers in a few top markets and a few emerging markets discuss their experience in working with industry, articulating the community benefits, and understanding the pain points.

Attendees will have the perfect opportunity to recharge both their devices and themselves in the dedicated mobile device charging lounge, a popular gathering spot throughout the event. Conveniently located in the Concourse Outside Expo Hall, the charging lounge is easily accessible from all major event areas, making it a natural stopping point between sessions, meetings, and expo floor visits.

With $2 billion in global investment in 2024, quantum computing is projected to become a $72 billion dollar market by 2035. How will its science-fiction like properties help solve problems intractable by even our fastest machines today? How can industry standards enable a future quantum infrastructure through hype-free, realistic roadmaps? This session will introduce the strange properties of quantum computation, the current state of the quantum industry, and the supply chain challenges ahead as this nascent technology continues to scale from academic theory to business reality.

Our Spark Sessions provide a high-energy forum to let you soak up three big ideas in one conference session. In this session, three speakers will each cover a key emerging topic in the Data Center Build track: • Machine vision, RFID, and real-time location systems can transform data center asset management (Jeff Zeigler, Vision Intel) • Data residency rules and risks are reshaping sovereign clouds and AI architectures (Ankit Gupta, Exeter Finance) • The AI inference age needs a data center network that looks more like our electricity grid (Pete Sacco, PTS Data Center Solutions)

1. High power densities requires simplified design with power delivery at higher voltages & currents 2. Safety through third party certifications (UL) and engineered controls. The need for higher reliability requires a resilient architecture

As liquid cooling becomes a core part of modern data centers, effective communication between cooling systems and building management platforms is critical to efficient operations. This session will explore CDU (coolant distribution units) and TCS (technology cooling systems) communication capabilities and how to effectively integrate them into a BMS for reliable operations. Attendees will learn which key operational parameters matter most and how automation, modular pipe design, and full telemetry valve trains improve visibility and efficiency. The presentation will show how CDU and TCS data can be used for real time monitoring, troubleshooting, and maintenance planning leaving participants with a practical understanding of how to turn liquid cooling data into actionable operations.

Free cooling has moved from experiment to default; air-side, water-side, and indirect-evaporative economization now routinely displace compressor hours as IT hardware supports wider inlet temperature/humidity ranges. As a result, more sites can operate for longer in economizer modes and realize substantial energy and carbon savings. However, the shift to lead-free electronics in the mid-2000s increased hardware sensitivity to airborne contaminants. To safeguard uptime and asset life, economization must be paired with contamination risk management. Equipment reliability cannot be an afterthought. Even when climate models show ample free-cooling hours, operators must now evaluate local and regional air quality. Modern programs pair energy optimization with current guidance (e.g., ASHRAE TC 9.9, ISA-71.04 classes) on contamination assessment, control, and monitoring. In mixed environments, where economization coexists with liquid cooling or high-density zones, these safeguards are essential to protect uptime and extend hardware life. This presentation will provide: • A practical overview of free cooling framed by equipment reliability requirements. • Updates on environmental risk factors and how they influence free-cooling strategies. • A summary of current air-quality and corrosion-control guidance used in data centers. • Case studies comparing free cooling with vs. without integrated contamination assessment, control, and continuous monitoring.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of data centers, where AI-driven workloads and hyperscale operations demand unprecedented power efficiency and reliability, harmonics represent a pervasive threat to system stability. This session delves into the intricacies of harmonic distortion caused by non-linear loads such as UPS systems, and cooling equipment, exploring how these distortions lead to inefficiencies, equipment failures, and increased operational costs. Data centers operate with razor-thin margins for downtime and energy waste, where even minor harmonic issues can cascade into multimillion-dollar losses or regulatory non-compliance. The urgency stems from the explosive growth of data centers amidst tightening energy regulations and the push for net-zero emissions. This makes addressing harmonics not only important for immediate cost savings and reliability but critical for the industry's long-term viability in a world increasingly reliant on digital infrastructure. Join us to gain actionable insights from real-world applications and expert analysis, equipping you to mitigate these risks and optimize your data center's power ecosystem. Key Takeaways: • Harmonics in data centers can increase energy consumption by up to 20% and accelerate equipment degradation, but targeted interventions can recover significant efficiencies. • Emerging trends, including AI workloads, exacerbate harmonic issues, necessitating proactive monitoring and adaptive solutions. • A holistic approach to harmonics not only enhances reliability but also supports greener operations, positioning your organization as a leader in sustainable data infrastructure.

Data center electrical infrastructure is facing significant challenges with the rapid rise of AI workloads and increasing rack power densities pushing power systems harder than ever. At the same time, the demand for skilled electrical engineers far outpaces the available supply, creating a growing gap in expertise. Traditional monitoring methods and manual fault detection are no longer sufficient in this environment, putting data centers at risk for costly downtime. Many facilities are finding it difficult to maintain the speed and coverage necessary to detect and fix issues promptly. This session will explore how AI agents, designed as autonomous electrical engineers, continuously analyze synchronized, high-frequency waveform data to detect, diagnose, and resolve faults in real time. Attendees will learn how these always-on AI agents serve as powerful allies for existing teams, helping to speed up fault detection and automate resolution. Through real-world case studies, this session will demonstrate how data centers can bridge the engineering skills gap and build greater operational resilience today, and prepare for the increased complexity of tomorrow.

As hyperscale and AI-driven data centers push grid limits, traditional approaches to power integration are no longer sufficient. This session explores advanced control and coordination strategies to manage voltage fluctuations, stabilize rapidly varying loads, and enhance reliability in both grid-connected and islanded operating modes. In grid-connected contexts, attendees will learn how utilities and data centers can collaborate on coordinated integration strategies to maintain stability. In islanded scenarios, we'll examine how on-site generation ranging from gas engines and turbines to fuel cells and renewable energy with battery storage integrated with microgrid-level control to balance variable demand and regulate frequency and voltage. Participants will gain a fresh perspective on secondary control, inverter-based systems, and storage optimization, leaving with practical insights into building resilient data center infrastructures that maintain continuity, minimize operational disturbances, and secure future digital growth.

Digital twins are rapidly transforming how data centers are designed, built, and operated—offering a powerful tool to improve efficiency, resiliency, and sustainability. This session explores the practical steps for adopting digital twins, from strategy development to implementation, and highlights the business value they create across the data center lifecycle. Attendees will learn how digital twins can optimize energy use, reduce downtime, streamline capacity planning, and support sustainability goals. Unlike theoretical discussions, this session focuses on actionable insights and adoption pathways, helping operators and developers cut through the hype and move toward practical deployment. For those looking to future-proof their data centers, the time to embrace digital twins is now.

GDI Ainsworth would like to present at Data Center World and present leveraging the waste heat from data centers and for use in buildings and communities. We would present a case study as well as some other examples of different data centers tiers where the waste heat is providing beneficial use for buildings and communities. This presentation will demonstrate how this model integrates advanced energy technologies—water-to-water heat pumps, smart thermal networks, and data-driven energy optimization—to reduce GHG emissions, improve energy efficiency, and create a repeatable model for sustainable urban development.

Choosing a compact single-phase liquid cooling approach involves tradeoffs across performance, footprint, cost and operational complexity. This session breaks down system architecture from CDU to cold plate loop, including coolant selection, flow/pressure management and leak mitigation. Attendees will leave with actionable guidance on specification and ongoing maintenance, especially for mixed environments where air and liquid cooling must coexist. Understanding Fluid Transfer Systems: Gain insights into the latest innovations in fluid transfer products that are specifically tailored for space-constrained environments. Learn how these systems can be integrated into existing infrastructures to enhance cooling efficiency. Efficiency Improvements: Discover strategies to improve the efficiency of fluid transfer systems at the component level. We will discuss best practices and cutting-edge technologies that contribute to better thermal management and maximize cooling performance without compromising space. Pressure Drop Minimization: Understand the critical importance of minimizing pressure drop in fluid transfer applications. We will delve into techniques and methodologies to combat pressure drop challenges, ensuring effective and reliable cooling solutions.

The shift toward liquid cooling and higher operating temperatures, and their impact on heat rejection. No single cooling architecture fits all —optimal solutions depend on climate, water availability, and operational priorities. A structured decision framework enables designers to select the best heat rejection strategy for their project.

The market is no longer defined by what's written in the spec; it's defined by how fast you can adapt. Forgent delivers quality and speed at once—because it was engineered for change, not stability when the spec changes. Closing Message: 'Forgent was built for this era—where adaptability, quality, and partnership define performance. The spec will always change. The question is: who can deliver when it does?

This presentation explores how progressive data center developers and owners are increasingly driving construction platform requirements to enforce standardized digital workflows and reporting across multiple general contractors and regions. The approach highlights mandating stage-gated close-out processes using digital 'Action Plans' to ensure strict sequencing, and implementing end-to-end material track and trace methodologies—utilizing RFID, GPS, and QR codes—to monitor asset custody and inspection history long before materials ever reach the job site. 3 Key Takeaways: Attendees will learn how to transition project data ownership from basic compliance tracking into a powerful, active risk mitigation tool. Owners will leave with actionable strategies for mandating a unified platform across their portfolios, tracking long lead equipment early, tying field progress to accurate financial forecasting. Ensure seamless asset registry development during construction to drastically reduce downstream operational risks.

The federal government has opened a new frontier for data center development: federal land. This isn't just a policy change; it's a paradigm shift for the entire industry. Join an expert panel to explore the unprecedented opportunities and critical challenges of building AI-centric data centers on government property. We will dive into the strategic drivers behind this, from the recent White House Executive Order on accelerating federal permitting to the Department of Energy's pilot RFP. The discussion will examine two core themes. First, we will dissect the business case for private enterprise, exploring the pros and cons of leveraging federal land for commercial AI requirements. Second, we will focus on the unique demands of government customers, analyzing how industry can meet stringent security and power requirements, particularly those governed by ICD 705—for AI workloads at agencies like the DoD. Walk away with a clear understanding of this emerging market and how your organization can navigate it to accelerate the future of AI infrastructure.

As data centers scale rapidly and their complexity increases, the question of insurability is being decided well before facilities go live. Early design choices surrounding power systems, cooling, construction methods, fire protection, and site risk have a direct impact on operational resilience, potential losses, and whether a site can be insured in the long run—yet these crucial elements are frequently considered too late in the process. In this session, FM will delve into what it really means to design for insurability in today's dynamic data center world. By drawing on real-world engineering insights, we'll highlight how prioritizing resilience from the start supports uptime and ensures datacenters remain insurable as technology, energy needs, and risks change over time. **3 Key Takeaways:** • Insurability begins at the design stage—Early decisions around site selection, construction, power, cooling, and fire protection fundamentally shape resilience and long-term insurability. • Engineering-led resilience reduces both operational and financial risk—When resilience is embedded in design, data centers are better equipped to handle disruptions, maintain uptime, and enable sustainable growth. • An ecosystem view is essential—With power generation, renewables, energy storage, and emerging technologies, interdependencies multiply and need to be addressed holistically to prevent compounding risks.

Artificial intelligence has upended the thermal equation, reshaping silicon architectures and accelerating the need for integrated, flexible, and scalable cooling strategies. In this session, Oakley Roberts, President of Data Centers at Trane Technologies, will reveal how co designed architectures, modular systems, and intelligent hybrid cooling are redefining performance, resiliency, and deployment speed for next generation AI data centers. Attendees will gain a clear view of how integrated thermal management can turn rising complexity into a competitive advantage. Key Takeaways: 1. Why silicon bifurcation, density, and deployment velocity demand a shift from standardized cooling to engineered flexibility. 2. How early co design, reference architectures, and modular systems unlock faster, more predictable hyperscale and colocation deployments. 3. What integrated hybrid cooling and system level orchestration mean for achieving performance, efficiency, and resiliency at AI scale.

Powering the Future in the Most Sustainable Way

Improving system reliability by strengthening installation practices and visibility from cable preparation through to grid connection. Reducing rework and delays by enabling faster, cleaner and more consistent cable preparation that performs reliably in field conditions. Protecting underground infrastructure through more precise installation identification.

Join us for the highly anticipated Expo Hall Opening Reception. We will mix, mingle, and reconnect after being apart for months. The event marks the official launch of the expo hall experience. Meet with 450+ solution providers, take in multiple interactive event experiences, attend Solution Spotlights, and much more.

Anyone can fill a rack. But doing it right, balancing weight distribution, optimizing airflow, managing power and cabling, and ensuring clean maintenance access, that's where real expertise shows. The **Rack & Stack Competition **celebrates the craft behind great data center operations. This live, single-elimination bracket-style tournament puts those skills on full display as two-person teams go head-to-head in a race against the clock to build the cleanest, smartest, and fastest rack. Get a play by play of the action set to energetic music in this super fun environment. Prizes and trophies will be awarded to the winning and runner up teams! Interested in participating? Contact: sean.tolliver@informa.com (mailto:sean.tolliver@informa.com).

1. Brief history of Armstrong World Industries and how Armstrong entered the data center solutions space. Armstrong brings a legacy of engineering excellence, manufacturing expertise, and proven performance to data center infrastructure. Backed by 160 years of manufacturing expertise and American-made reliability, each solution helps you meet sourcing demands and critical build schedules—without compromising design or performance. 2. Product Overview o DynaMax®, DynaMax® Plus, and DynaMax® LT Structural Grid Systems are pre-engineered for strength and adaptability. These structural ceiling systems provide critical support for cable management, lighting, and mechanical systems while ensuring seamless integration with your infrastructure needs. Armstrong structural ceiling systems for data centers work in harmony with aisle containment to optimize airflow, improve energy efficiency, and enable scalable, future-ready data center design. o Cool Shield™ High Performance Aisle Containment solutions offer state-of-the-art hot and cold aisle containment solutions designed to maximize data center efficiency while significantly reducing power consumption. 3. Capability Overview Armstrong offers high-performance, build-to-spec manufacturing for the data center segment through integrated structural ceiling grids aisle containment systems. By leveraging the acquisition of Cool Shield aisle containment, Armstrong delivers scalable, easy-to-install, and domestically manufactured solutions that optimize airflow management and meet the design needs for mission-critical environments.

AI factories and gigawatt‑scale campuses are reshaping thermal design from the rack to the site level. In high-density environments, cooling design is one architectural lever that directly influences system power density, serviceability, and energy efficiency. In this session we will discuss implementation of cooling for the case of a disaggregated 1 MW compute rack using high-performance single-phase cooling. The key challenge to maximizing compute density is also maximizing the cooling density. Our modular coolant distribution unit enables 1 MW racks with a flow delivery exceeding 1500 LPM in a typical rack-width footprint. With its compact width footprint, the modular CDU maximizes deployment energy density while providing a high level of pump redundancy (2N). In the data center, cooling flexibility is the key to maximizing compute performance and energy efficiency and JetCool's product portfolio has grown to meet these cooling challenges from inside the server all the way out to the CDU.

U.S.-based manufacturing & innovation, Proven Ability to Deliver at Scale, Partnership-Driven Approach

We'll be showcasing next generation data center products, featuring smart airflow management and power infrastructure products designed for scalable AI data center deployment. Three Takeaways: 1. Bridging the air to liquid cooling gap 2. Hybrid cooling best practices 3. Efficiency Savings - Don't forget the low hanging fruit

Join us for the Data Center Manager of the Year awards. This program supports the exceptional leaders on the front lines of data center management. It honors those who are dedicated to ensuring uptime, supporting team building, and driving sustainability and innovation forward. These trailblazers are always striving to work smarter, plan for the future, and advance mission critical environments. Come see who wins this prestigious honor for 2026!

As data centers and high-performance computing environments scale to unprecedented levels, traditional power distribution architectures face critical limitations. This presentation explores the next frontier in energy delivery: the 1 MW rack and the evolution beyond sidecar designs through advanced 800 VDC strategies. We will examine how VDC optimizes efficiency, reduces losses, and supports the growing demands of AI workloads and hyperscale infrastructure. Attendees will gain insights into design considerations, safety standards, and integration approaches that enable sustainable, high-density power distribution for future-ready facilities. Join us to understand why 800VDC is not just an alternative—it's the foundation for powering the next generation of compute. Key Takeaways: • High-voltage direct current (HVDC) architectures are essential for meeting the massive power demands of AI workloads and hyperscale data centers. Moving beyond traditional sidecar designs unlocks the ability to support 1 MW racks efficiently. • HVDC reduces conversion losses, improves energy efficiency, and minimizes infrastructure footprint—critical for sustainable, future-ready facilities. • Learn how optimized HVDC strategies lower operational costs while supporting green initiatives. Implementing HVDC at scale requires careful attention to design considerations, safety standards, and integration approaches. These best practices ensure reliable, secure, and scalable power distribution for next-generation compute environments.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming data centers from traditional IT environments into highly specialized AI factories built for extreme compute density, massive energy throughput, and global scale. As AI workloads accelerate, operators must rethink how infrastructure is designed, powered, cooled, and deployed. In this keynote, engineering leaders from Oracle, NVIDIA, and Google will share firsthand insights into how hyperscale organizations are building and operating the next generation of AI infrastructure. The discussion will explore the real-world engineering and business decisions behind modern AI data center design. From securing power in grid-constrained markets to supporting GPU-dense environments and deploying infrastructure faster than ever before, this session will provide a practical look at how leading organizations are scaling the facilities that power the AI economy. Key Takeaways Attendees will learn: * How AI is redefining the data center and transforming facilities into high-performance compute factories. * Strategies for securing and managing power as AI infrastructure pushes energy demand to new levels. * How operators are supporting extreme rack densities and preparing for next-generation GPU environments. * Where liquid and hybrid cooling strategies fit in the future of AI infrastructure. * How hyperscalers are accelerating deployment timelines through modular design and supply chain innovation. * What infrastructure leaders must do today to prepare for the next decade of AI-driven demand.

Head down Data Center Alley and visit with leading data center solution providers. This is located just to the left of the entrance to the expo hall. Enjoy special treats throughout the week: • Tuesday – Popcorn Palooza! 2pm to 4pm • Wednesday – Cappuccinos and Lattes! 10am to 12pm * Thursday – Yummy Donuts! 10am to 12pm This is a great opportunity to learn about innovation in action.

Enterprises are being challenged in data center capacity and capability planning across each of on-premises, colocation, and cloud delivery models for both traditional corporate processing needs and rapidly growing artificial intelligence initiatives. Many end users are finding that their existing data centers cannot accommodate anticipated AI development and rollout programs, and new data center construction is very expensive. Rapidly evolving AI training models and subsequent inference applications have significantly complicated the planning process when C-level executives want to see effective and affordable data center capacity and capability plans that can be flexibly adjusted over time as AI deployment lessons are learned. This session will discuss the process for quantifying and evaluating needs for AI readiness, reliability, scalability, electricity delivery, cooling (densities and methods), telecom bandwidth, network latency, cloud migration, cloud proximity, audit/compliance, sustainability, hazards/risks, security, provider competency, contract flexibility, reducing operating costs, and controlling capital expenditures to properly plan for future data center requirements. This fast-paced interactive session will present several case study summaries and a planning framework for enterprise use creating cost-effective data center capacity and capability plans that are customizable for each organization's specific needs.

For more than a decade, industrialized construction has been framed as a story of prefabricated components and repeatable kits of parts. While that approach has delivered meaningful gains in safety, quality, and speed, it represents only the baseline of what is possible. Join Amy Marks, SVP, Innovation & Sustainability at Compass Datacenters, and their partners in a session that reframes industrialized construction through a systems thinking lens. Drawing on real-world owner experience, it explores how value creation, risk, and predictability change at each layer of integration, why many industrialization efforts stall despite widespread prefabrication, and how people and culture, not components, are the true constraints. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for understanding where their organization is today, where value is being left on the table, and what it takes to move from parts optimization to durable, market-shaping industrialized construction.

Experience the thrill of the Golf Simulator on the expo floor at booth #1870, proudly sponsored by Voltaris Power. This exciting attraction features TRACKMAN ball flight tracker technology—the same cutting-edge system used at PGA Tour events—and Callaway golf clubs. Test your skills in the longest drive and closest-to-the-pin challenges or take your shot at the golden ball shootout competition for a chance to win the daily Grand Prize of $10,000 with a hole-in-one! While waiting for your turn at the Tee-box, be sure to speak with the team at Voltaris Power. Voltaris Power designs and delivers custom electrical power systems built around your needs — not the other way around. Powered by legacy companies Jefferson Electric and PCEP, Voltaris creates infrastructure that doesn't blink. From data centers to critical facilities, their custom systems — including Integrated Power Centers and PDU Transformers — deliver reliability, precision, and uninterrupted uptime.

We invite you to explore the **Innovation Alley**, located right outside the Expo Hall, where the **Innovation Challenge Finalists** are showcasing groundbreaking solutions and ideas. This is your chance to connect with visionary minds, experience cutting-edge technologies, and gain fresh insights that could transform your industry. Don't miss this unique opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired by the brightest innovators. Whether you're looking to spark new collaborations or simply witness the next big thing, Innovation Alley is the place to be. Plan your visit today and be part of the excitement!

Attendees will have the perfect opportunity to recharge both their devices and themselves in the dedicated mobile device charging lounge, a popular gathering spot throughout the event. Conveniently located in the Concourse Outside Expo Hall, the charging lounge is easily accessible from all major event areas, making it a natural stopping point between sessions, meetings, and expo floor visits.

Our Spark Sessions provide a high-energy forum to let you soak up three big ideas in one conference session. In this session, three speakers will each cover a key emerging topic in the Power Sourcing & Sustainability arena: • Thermal storage can help align renewable generation with seasonal power and cooling needs (Gary Hilberg, Continuum Energy) • AI workloads demand development of megawatt-scale, medium-voltage power conversion (Chris (Edgardo) Mi, San Diego State University) • Transformer design choices ripple through efficiency, maintenance, fire safety, and environmental outcomes (Aaron Starling, JST Power Equipment)

The data center industry is experiencing the most rapid and dramatic evolution in its history. In 2025 and 2026, explosive AI demand, unprecedented power constraints, and a global capacity race are redefining how facilities are designed, built, and operated. In this year's State of the Data Center session, Bill Kleyman, Informa's Executive Chair of Data Center Programs and CEO of Apolo.us, delivers an energizing and deeply data-driven look at what is changing, why it matters, and where the industry is heading. Drawing from the AFCOM State of the Data Center 2026 Report, Bill will break down seismic shifts across growth, power, cooling, cloud trends, operational risks, and infrastructure economics. We will explore how the industry has moved from adding a few megawatts per quarter to adding hundreds of megawatts each month, how U.S. colocation capacity has doubled, and how average rack densities have surged from 7 kW in 2021 to well over 20 kW today. With nearly 80 percent of operators expecting further increases driven by AI clusters and HPC workloads, the density curve is nowhere near flattening. This session will dive into: • Liquid cooling adoption• The emergence of hydrogen and nuclear as real power strategies• The rise of FinOps and cloud repatriation• Escalating outage impacts• The new security challenges introduced by AI-driven operations If you want a clear, compelling, and future-focused understanding of what the next era of digital infrastructure looks like, this presentation is essential. Bill brings the trends to life, connects the dots, and delivers a practical roadmap for navigating one of the most exciting and disruptive moments our industry has ever seen.

Outcome 1 — Turn waste heat into cooling capacity Modern absorption chillers can convert the thermal byproduct from onsite power generation into reliable cooling, delivering useful cooling without added electrical load. Onsite power yields two outputs: electricity and usable thermal energy. Absorption chillers tap that waste heat stream. Outcome 2 — Reduce water risk with modern design Contemporary absorption chiller designs mitigate historical concerns (e.g., crystallization risk) and can be configured to avoid additional water consumption while maintaining reliable operation. Outcome 3 — Improve data center efficiency (PUE) Pairing onsite power with absorption chillers can improve PUE, with potential improvements up to ~30% depending on site conditions and integration, positioned as a pathway to a 'more sustainable frontier.'

1) The Global Power Paradigms Shifting 2) The Requirement New Solution - Superconducting Total Power Solution 3) Breaking the Power Bottleneck - Alignment with Global Strategy

Resilience in modern data centers goes beyond hardened infrastructure. It requires a coordinated approach to physical security, facility systems, and operational support that begins at the perimeter and extends to the facility core. This Tech Talk explores how perimeter protection, vehicle barriers, access control, intelligent video, and building entry systems can be unified into a centralized operating model. By integrating these systems into a single operational view—and supporting them with remote monitoring and virtualized technical support—operators can improve visibility, accelerate response times, and reduce on-site service demands. Discover how a layered, technology-driven approach to security helps strengthen protection, streamline operations, and safeguard uptime in mission-critical environments. Takeaways • Designing Security from the Outside In: Understand how layered security from perimeter barriers to core facility access protects critical infrastructure. • Technology-Enabled Operations at Scale: See how centralized monitoring and virtualized technical support reduce on-site demands while improving response and efficiency. • Proactive Protection with Integrated Systems: Learn how unified monitoring and smart technologies enable earlier threat detection and stronger perimeter defense.

In this session from ABB and Applied Digital, discover how a cutting-edge, collaborative partnership is redefining AI data center electrical architecture from the ground up. Attendees will gain insight into how a strategic operator–technology leading partnership took a novel approach to power architecture across two 400 MW facilities in North Dakota — delivering a breakthrough design that saves rack space, reduces materials and labor, and enables faster, more energy-efficient deployment and scaling. Key takeaways include: Understand how AI and high-density compute are transforming traditional data center models into AI Factories. How electrification and innovative energy strategies simplify deployment and reduce costs, enabling more efficient growth. Learn real-world design trade-offs, deployment strategies, and practical insights from ABB and Applied Digital's collaboration to identify critical steps operators and partners must urgently take to futureproof for the next wave of AI demand.

This year, 24 selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch directly to **venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers and ABB executives**, gaining valuable exposure to key decision-makers across the data center ecosystem. The Data Center World **Innovation Challenge**, powered by ABB, will showcase the most exciting and impactful data center technologies currently on the market. Discover startups driving transformation, explore breakthrough solutions, and connect with the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. **New for 2026!** • **Innovation Alley**: Start-ups will showcase their solutions to thousands of data center professionals via a dedicated exhibit space. • **Innovation Challenge**: Pitch your solution to a panel of esteemed judges, with a chance for data center glory! • **Dedicated Networking Reception**: Mix and mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry. • **Keynote Level Exposure**: Winners will be announced at the Thursday DCW keynote.

As energy costs rise, sovereignty becomes paramount, and AI workloads intensify infrastructure demands, data center leaders must deliver more performance with less power, greater cooling efficiency, and lower operational risk. This session explores how to design an infrastructure foundation built for continuous operations — capable of withstanding power instability and extreme events — while supporting sovereignty, AI, and high-density workloads sustainably and at scale.

An overview of the evolving global data center landscape, exploring how AI-driven demand, storage innovations, and regional dynamics are reshaping infrastructure, alongside the urgent push toward a more sustainable, efficient design. 3 Key Takeaways: 1.AI is redefining data growth and flow. 2. Infrastructure is shifting fast. 3. Sustainability is now core to design.

As energy demand from data centers continues to accelerate, the industry must rethink how facilities are powered and operated. This session explores next-generation nuclear technology. AMPERA will share insights into how its energy-dense, thorium-fueled, ultra-safe power solution can support data center growth with its scalable and rapidly deployable solution that is designed to deliver low-cost electricity, reduce carbon impact, improve resilience and address future energy systems.

As data centers evolve to support AI, HPC, and high-density computing, cooling systems are undergoing a fundamental transformation. Traditional air-based approaches are reaching their limits, accelerating the industry's shift toward liquid cooling. While this transition unlocks higher performance and efficiency, it also introduces new risks that directly affect reliability, energy consumption, and uptime. In this session, IMI Data Center Solutions explores why flow stability has become a mission-critical factor in modern thermal control systems. Attendees will gain a clear understanding of the operational, business and reputational consequences of unstable flow, from reduced cooling efficiency and increased component wear to higher risks of downtime in mission-critical environments. The presentation outlines what it takes to guarantee flow stability in critical data center systems, focusing on system balancing, fast response to dynamic loads, differential pressure control, and fluid quality management. The session concludes with a practical view of how IMI supports data center operators and designers in moving from cooling challenges to full cooling system control, enabling scalable, reliable, and future-ready infrastructure.

This session brings together Mark Scher, President of Applied High Voltage, and Alexandre Nicolas, President of Electric Power Engineers, to discuss how interconnection strategy and reliable power system design come together in real projects. They will cover the interconnection process and how requirements translate into resilient, buildable solutions. Through a case study, they will walk through interconnection planning, design, and construction, highlighting key lessons learned from delivering reliable data center power infrastructure. 3 Takeaways: Key steps and challenges in the data center interconnection process How reliability is designed into high-demand data centers Why aligning interconnection strategy with design and construction improves outcomes.

Artificial intelligence is accelerating data center development at a pace the power industry was never designed to support. While interconnection reform is improving grid queue discipline, the true constraint increasingly lies in critical power infrastructure availability — including substations, transformers, switchgear, and distribution equipment. Large substation-level assets are now quoting multi-year lead times in many voltage classes, while downstream distribution components continue to affect modular expansion schedules. These delays directly influence energization timelines, Investment Tax Credit (ITC) qualification, capital deployment velocity, and ultimately project IRR. This session examines how critical power infrastructure has become an embedded financial variable in AI data center projects. We will quantify the IRR impact of delayed energization, distinguish between substation-level and distribution-level risk exposure, and explore how diversified manufacturing models, domestic engineering agility, localized testing, and vertically integrated execution frameworks can materially reduce schedule volatility. In the AI economy, infrastructure speed is no longer operational efficiency — it is strategic leverage. 3 Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Critical Power Infrastructure Timing Drives IRR Multi-year lead times for substation-level equipment and extended distribution backlogs can compress project IRR by 200–400 basis points. Energization speed directly impacts revenue recognition, lease capture, and capital efficiency. 2️⃣ Substation and Distribution Assets Carry Different Risk Profiles Substation-level infrastructure determines campus activation. Distribution-level equipment determines modular expansion velocity. Strategic procurement must treat them differently. 3️⃣ Structural Supply Chain Design Determines Competitive Speed Organizations that diversify manufacturing capacity, maintain domestic engineering responsiveness, and localize Factory Acceptance Testing can materially reduce schedule volatility while protecting ITC eligibility and compliance alignment.

Data center vacancy rates are at an all-time low; lease rates have been rising in many markets; power constrained markets and data centers builds are increasing; data center design and construction is a new game with unprecedented demands; local regulator, legislator, and citizen pushback on development projects is expanding. But not all markets experience these issues, and these challenges are not necessarily insurmountable. The panelists for this session each have technical data center backgrounds and specialize in tracking, studying, and working on these challenging issues. Be prepared for a wide-ranging discussion on the specific questions and curiosities attendees bring. Where would you like your next data center building or deployment to be? How do data center builders overcome the technical customer requirements and supply chain challenges? What can you do to ease the potential obstacles or burdens that may lie ahead?

As hyperscalers and neo-cloud providers race to deploy compute infrastructure at unprecedented speeds, the bottleneck is shifting from chip availability to power delivery. Powering AI at scale requires a fundamental rethinking of data center infrastructure, from the grid connection all the way to the chip. This session explores how Solid-State Transformers (SSTs) are positioned to transform the landscape by enabling faster, more compact, efficient modular deployments. SSTs address critical challenges such as grid constraints, power density, and the growing diversity of chip requirements. By consolidating multiple legacy components (e.g., traditional transformers, UPS systems, transfer switches) SSTs reduce complexity, shorten deployment timelines, and improve overall system efficiency. They also enable high-voltage DC distribution, support multi-port outputs for heterogeneous compute loads, and integrate seamlessly with on-site storage and generation assets like batteries and solar. This session will highlight how SSTs support 'Bring Your Own Power' (BYOP) strategies and align with prefabricated AI factory models to dramatically reduce time to usable compute. Attendees will gain insight into how software-defined power delivery with built-in redundancy can future-proof infrastructure while enhancing sustainability and grid resilience. Whether you're designing your next AI data center or rethinking your power architecture, this session will offer a compelling vision of what's possible when power becomes programmable.

Supply chain disruptions and soaring costs are rewriting the rules of data center development. Industrial equipment—transformers, switchgear, generators, and gas turbines—now often come with 12–24 month lead times, threatening project timelines and budgets. This session dives into the procurement bottlenecks plaguing the industry and offers actionable strategies for mitigating risk through proactive sourcing, vendor diversification, early-stage planning, and demand forecasting. Whether you're a developer, operator, or equipment supplier, you'll gain valuable insights into how leading firms are adapting procurement strategies in a post-pandemic, high-demand world. The session will also explore new approaches in contracting and partnership models that align incentives and reduce delivery uncertainty.

AI is reshaping infrastructure demands, but not all models—or silicon—are created equal. This session breaks down the 'Four Pillars' of AI infrastructure: workload types, model profiles, silicon choices, and the latency/bandwidth trade-offs that drive design decisions. From training vs. inference requirements to the realities of large language model deployments, we'll explore how to balance performance, cost, and efficiency. Using real-world case studies—including when API-driven AI costs spiral—we'll examine deployment models (on-premises vs. SaaS/API), chip competition (GPUs, TPUs, ASICs, emerging silicon), and how evolving workloads impact power and cooling strategies. Attendees will leave with a practical framework for aligning AI models to infrastructure, a clear view of the trade-offs between control and cost, and a checklist for future-proofing their data centers as the AI landscape rapidly evolves.

This session will cover AI‑driven scale, DC fault physics and next‑generation protection. Key takeaways: AI drives a power‑architecture reset and 800VDC is physics‑driven. Solid‑state conversion enables isolation and DC protection must be ultra‑fast. Architecture matters more than components.

In this session, we'll share firsthand insights from securing five gigawatts of data center power. We'll break down the critical financial approaches, power quality considerations, permitting challenges, and cost management strategies that helped us succeed. Expect actionable lessons and open conversation. Three takeaways: 1. Effective cost management is key to large-scale power deals. 2. Ensuring reliable power quality is a differentiator in the data center market. 3. Navigating permit complexities efficiently accelerates project timelines.

Product Selection from Performance to Installation 1. AI Workloads Demand High-Density, Hight-Performance Cabling; Clean Design = Reliable Throughput. 2. Structured Cable Management Cuts Operational Costs and Speeds Troubleshooting. 3. Building to Evolve is Essential - Design for the next Gig, Fiber/Cu Density and Rapid Migration.

Join Parker Slaybaugh and Tim Alborg for an inside look at how the data center industry is reintroducing itself to communities through trust-based, human-centered public affairs. This session weaves together two landmark efforts: Virginia Connects—the largest public affairs campaign ever developed solely to educate the public on the need for and benefits of data centers—and Rowan Digital Infrastructure's community engagement strategy for Maryland's first hyperscale campus. Over the past two years, LINK Public Affairs has helped transform a highly technical, often misunderstood industry into a relatable, community-focused story. Through creative storytelling, emotional connection, and high-impact media and digital campaigns, Virginia Connects centered on the people, jobs, and essential services enabled by data centers—moving the conversation beyond infrastructure to impact. The session also dives into a ground-level case study of how those principles were applied at hyperscale. Attendees will learn how Rowan Digital Infrastructure approached community engagement for a 600+ MW campus, not as a regulatory checkbox, but as a strategic priority. The team will share practical tactics for designing and executing open houses that attracted more than 75 attendees each, maximizing turnout through direct mail, civic outreach, and media partnerships, and preparing subject matter experts to address concerns around noise, water use, and visual impact. Together, these case studies offer a replicable model for developers and advocates seeking to build not just critical infrastructure, but lasting community relationships at scale.

This year, 24 selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch directly to **venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers and ABB executives**, gaining valuable exposure to key decision-makers across the data center ecosystem. The Data Center World **Innovation Challenge**, powered by ABB, will showcase the most exciting and impactful data center technologies currently on the market. Discover startups driving transformation, explore breakthrough solutions, and connect with the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. ** ****New for 2026!** • **Innovation Alley**: Start-ups will showcase their solutions to thousands of data center professionals via a dedicated exhibit space. • **Innovation Challenge**: Pitch your solution to a panel of esteemed judges, with a chance for data center glory! • **Dedicated Networking Reception**: Mix and mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry. • **Keynote Level Exposure**: Winners will be announced at the Thursday DCW keynote.

1. What's next in battery technology and how modern chemistries enhance safety, performance, and lifecycle. 2. How AI improves reliability, from predictive maintenance to real-time optimization. 3. Strategies for sustainable, future-ready backup power that lower carbon footprint and support long-term data-center growth.

Join us for a fast-paced, dynamic hour of speed networking – and be sure to get there early to reserve your spot! This interactive experience will provide a unique opportunity to expand your network and make lasting connections with other data center and IT infrastructure professionals. **Session Highlights**: • **Structured Rotations**: Participate in brief, timed interactions to maximize the number of new connections you make. • **Relevant Discussion Prompts**: Engage in conversations centered around current challenges and innovations in data center management. • **Peer-to-Peer Learning**: Share experiences and solutions with professionals facing similar industry challenges. Don't miss this chance to connect with fellow data center experts, discuss emerging technologies, and establish relationships that can last well beyond the event!

As AI, electrification, and industrial growth accelerate demand, power infrastructure must become more flexible, resilient, and intelligent. This session explores how a vendor-neutral, cross-platform approach enables scalable growth, profitable decarbonization, and modular behind-the-meter power designed for speed to megawatt and long-term reliability. Key Takeaways: 1.The Cross-Platform Advantage: Solving for X in a Fragmented Market: Break free from OEM lock-in. Learn how a vendor-neutral, cross-platform approach lets you scale your power infrastructure based on your budget and growth needs. 2. Intelligent ESG Performance: Profitable Decarbonization: Move beyond compliance. Discover how integrated solutions, including hydrogen-ready turbines, modular heat recovery, and SMART CEMS transform emissions monitoring into a bottom-line advantage. 3. The Future of Resilient Power: Empowering the AI Revolution: Redefine reliability for hyperscale data centers. Explore the next generation of Behind-the-Meter power, featuring hydrogen-ready technology and SMART BESS designed for the demands of AI at scale.

The cost to upgrade the grid and the time for interconnection are two key factors that drive the decision-making on when and where a data center can be brought online. By performing actions like energy shifting or power limiting, interconnection obstacles can be overcome, and energy costs can be reduced. However, the time to market and economic values from these actions are hard to categorize without formalized grid service definitions. Our team from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will explore how a data center can participate in grid services, evaluated using our economic impact assessment tool, which simulates the data center and its connection to the grid and reports the impact of different responses to grid conditions. By describing these impacts in the language of policymakers, the results are more likely to be accepted, and the plan operationalized. Critically, the scenario-based results are analyzed for all impacted parties including the data center owner, the grid operator, and the ratepayers. This lecture will convey a philosophy of how data centers may leverage their inherent flexibility to profit from the delivery of grid services that enhance grid reliability, speed up the interconnection process, and reduce or even eliminate costly grid upgrades.

As AI workloads scale, next-generation data centers require integrated solutions for power, liquid cooling, and services that can support over 1MW per IT rack. New power architectures combine high-voltage direct current (HVDC) power distribution with modular power components capable of supplying 1.2MW in an ORv3 standard rack, including AC and DC PDUs, power shelves, and energy storage shelves. These components enable efficient, scalable delivery of high current at reduced losses. For liquid cooling, end-of-rack coolant distribution units (CDU) manage flow and return across multiple nodes, enabling rack-level thermal design capacities exceeding 2MW. Together, these solutions enable efficient, scalable delivery of high current at reduced losses while re-defining the thermal-electrical envelope for AI-optimized infrastructure.

Data Centers that rely on new build power plants will find the easiest path by 'going to the source' and locating in geographies with abundant local energy resources. Reduction in delivery risk / basis differential / curtailment, reduction in wait-times for grid interconnection, and enhanced local community benefits and acceptance, can all be achieved in areas that embody elite production, storage and delivery opportunities. In the best areas of the USA (South Central USA), overbuilding wind and solar relative to the size of a data center can achieve run times of 85% directly on as-available wind and solar, with surpluses feeding hydrogen production facilities capable of fueling co-located dispatchable generation units the other 15% of the time. Suitable geology to make low-cost salt caverns to store gas is the essential co-location ingredient enabling this opportunity. This talk will provide a case study (based on Texas Panhandle) that considers the 100% Clean Firm option (using hydrogen as needed) relative to other scenarios using various levels of natural gas. The range of technologies utilized (wind, solar, gas-fueled generation, BESS, salt cavern storage, and hydrogen production) are all bankable technologies that in combination can achieve attractive pricing and robust reliability.

Spark Session: 3 Emerging Tech Ideas Challenging Status Quo Data Center Ops Our Spark Sessions provide a high-energy forum to let you soak up three big ideas in one conference session. In this session, three speakers will each cover a key emerging topic in the Emerging IT & Data Center Technologies track: * The Boringly Effective Future of AI in Data Centers: How AI can be integrated into the core workflows of infrastructure, manufacturing, and construction to eliminate operational bottlenecks and empower your teams to do their best work. Speaker: Uri Soroka, Co-Founder and COO, Apolo.us * Physics-based System Simulation for AI Data Center Cooling: Using a multi-physics modeling framework that integrates thermal, hydraulic, and control domains can help to accurately represent the dynamic behavior of data center cooling environments during system design, validation, and optimization. Speaker: Andrew Grier, Research Scientist, Meta * Hyperscale TES for the AI Era: How large-capacity chilled water thermal energy storage can optimize peak load shaving, cooling load decoupling, turbine efficiency, and construction timelines at scale.

AI data centers are being delivered at scales that have never before been seen and the requirements of training models are pushing the boundaries of critical infrastructure equipment. The AI power demand is high and the possibilities of grid and generator destabilization is even higher without the right equipment. AI demands power equipment that is capable of absorbing the high pulse load and load balancing support during ramping up and down due to GPU synchronization of these massive GW scale sites. Advanced lithium ion batteries are the key to delivering these high power requirements and absorbing aggressive load fluctuations ensuring stable and consistent grid / generator operation of AI factories.

New challenges promote new technology. 1) (MV Solid State Transformer); (Solid State Breaker – superfast tripping); (DC-DC converter) 2) New power designs to meet the needs of AI DC Data Centers 3) Yields better efficiencies while increasing data center's capacity with new Nvidia Servers.

As data centers scale to support AI, high-density, and quantum workloads, cooling innovation has become a mission-critical challenge. This panel with Aligned Data Centers and TRANE explores how advances in cooling technologies, smart control systems, and sustainable design are shaping the next era of digital infrastructure. There is a need to support customers as they transition between traditional and next-gen workloads (air, liquid, and hybrid cooling). Intelligent monitoring and AI-driven management are emerging to monitor thermal loads, integrated with Building Management Systems and DCIM platforms, enabling real-time precision, preventing overheating as power densities surge. Panelists will share actionable strategies to scale cooling capacity intelligently, deliver reliability and flexibility under extreme performance conditions, and embed sustainability into the design and operation of data centers. Takeaways: • Explore how adaptive cooling systems can scale with rapid workload growth and shifting demands. • Understand the role of advanced liquid and modular cooling solutions for AI and high-density environments. • Learn how sustainability, adaptability, and efficiency converge through modern cooling technology.

This year, 24 selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch directly to **venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers and ABB executives**, gaining valuable exposure to key decision-makers across the data center ecosystem. The Data Center World **Innovation Challenge**, powered by ABB, will showcase the most exciting and impactful data center technologies currently on the market. Discover startups driving transformation, explore breakthrough solutions, and connect with the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. **New for 2026!** • **Innovation Alley**: Start-ups will showcase their solutions to thousands of data center professionals via a dedicated exhibit space. • **Innovation Challenge**: Pitch your solution to a panel of esteemed judges, with a chance for data center glory! • **Dedicated Networking Reception**: Mix and mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry. • **Keynote Level Exposure**: Winners will be announced at the Thursday DCW keynote.

AI demand is exploding, but most data centers struggle to balance GPU density, power and cooling limits, and operational complexity. MiTAC Computing will showcase how to accelerate AI adoption with end to end, turnkey infrastructure that spans high performance servers, advanced cooling, orchestration, and sustainable power. This session unveils MiTAC's latest liquid-cooled and air-cooled racks, powered by AMD Instinct™ GPUs to accelerate massive model training and generative AI, along with adaptable Intel® Xeon® and AMD EPYC™ systems for HPC and cloud scale workloads. Beyond hardware, we showcase how MiTAC's holistic architectural integration unlocks the sustained throughput essential for RAG, inference, and data-heavy simulations. Attendees will discover how MiTAC partners with integrated clean-energy providers to deliver the Sustainable Data Center of tomorrow. We will also highlight MiTAC's ecosystem collaborations: Rafay for unified Kubernetes and AI pod management, DDN for high performance AI data platforms, Akash for diamond cooled AMD GPU servers, and Tonomia for renewable powered, low carbon AI clusters. Together, these solutions give operators a practical blueprint to build AI 'factories' that are performant, power aware, and ready to scale from rack to campus.

Wind down with your peers and explore the Expo Hall during the Booth Crawl! Connect with exhibitors, enjoy wine, beer, and bites, and discover outstanding product offerings in a relaxed and social setting. It's the perfect opportunity to network and uncover innovative solutions. • Babcock Power Data Center Platform, Booth: 1959 • Digital Shovel, Booth: 612 • Reinhausen Manufacturing Inc., Booth: 1406 • Sterlite Technologies Inc., Booth: 356

Join us for a fast-paced, dynamic hour of speed networking – and be sure to get there early to reserve your spot! This interactive experience will provide a unique opportunity to expand your network and make lasting connections with other data center and IT infrastructure professionals. **Session Highlights**: • **Structured Rotations**: Participate in brief, timed interactions to maximize the number of new connections you make. • **Relevant Discussion Prompts**: Engage in conversations centered around current challenges and innovations in data center management. • **Peer-to-Peer Learning**: Share experiences and solutions with professionals facing similar industry challenges. Don't miss this chance to connect with fellow data center experts, discuss emerging technologies, and establish relationships that can last well beyond the event!

AI and high density workloads are turning traditional definitions of reliability upside down. Uptime still matters, but if you can't deploy, scale, or adapt fast enough, your infrastructure is no longer truly 'reliable.' Every month lost to unpredictable lead times and delays with traditional engineered-to-order builds translates into deferred revenue, stranded capacity, and frustrated customers. In this Solution Spotlight, Excellerate Products™, a division of Faith Technologies Inc. and the organizations OEM product brand, will share how a new reliability stack, uptime, deployability, and recoverability, requires a different kind of power foundation. You'll see how pre engineered, pre configured power systems, like our Excellerate Products UL 891 LV switchboards, are manufactured using repeatable, lean processes to cut delivery timelines by up to 80%, reduce risk, and improve lifecycle performance. We'll pull back the curtain on the systems and processes that replace unpredictable construction variables with engineered certainty, proving that true reliability requires a foundation of manufacturing discipline. Key Takeaways: 1. The New Reliability Stack: Move beyond traditional uptime to understand the three critical layers of modern infrastructure success: uptime, deployability, and recoverability. 2. The Manufacturing Foundation: Discover how leveraging a 50-year legacy of expertise to build pre-configured platforms eliminates site variables and cuts traditional delivery timelines by up to 80%. 3. One Partner, Every Step of the Way: Discover how managing power from concept to commissioning with a single partner secures the entire Reliability Stack, ensuring that you don't just achieve uptime, but the speed of deployment and recoverability required for high-stakes workloads

As data centers rapidly evolve to support high-performance computing (HPC) and AI-driven workloads, efficient thermal management is no longer optional - it is mission critical. This presentation introduces an innovative cooling concept and infrastructure, that redefines how heat is removed directly from the silicon, to the ambient. By transferring the thermal energy from the silicon to phase change cold plates, the energy collected into hot vapor releases the heat energy directly into the ambient via condensers. The system leverages the forces of physics to deliver the hot vapor to the condensers and the condensed liquid to the servers, maximizing efficiency while, minimizing power consumption. The approach eliminates the need for water inside the data center entirely, ensuring zero water usage while enabling unprecedentedly low total data center PUE. By combining sustainability with performance, this breakthrough paves the way for the next generation of cooling methodologies that can keep pace with escalating compute demands. Designed for efficiency, resilience, and scalability, this solution demonstrates how smarter, waterless cooling can address the industry's most pressing challenges: reducing environmental impact, cutting operational costs, and ensuring that data centers are prepared for the future of HPC and AI at scale.

As data center risks become more complex and interconnected, insurance coverage presents some challenging overlap which can lead to (potentially very expensive) ambiguity. A number of distinct insurances are being brought together: cyber, property, terrorism, environmental liability, and more. Fascinatingly, today the insurance coverages are split between a number of classes within the insurance market, and there's little alignment. But that is changing fast. Hear an insurance underwriter's perspective reveals how these risks are assessed globally, how the insurance market is responding, and what DC companies need to know about insurance and risk.

Racks drawing 100+ kW, liquid cooling complexity, and global deployment demands are pushing operators to rethink infrastructure strategies. Prefabricated modular pods offer a solution for white space fit-out during site prep—delivering factory-built precision, integrated power and cooling, and rapid deployment capabilities that reduce on-site construction risks. Discover how prefabricated pods accelerate deployment, boost quality, and support the massive power and cooling demands of AI clusters, with clear guidance on liquid cooling design and scaling across multiple sites. Real world examples and practical frameworks will show you how to overcome today's AI infrastructure challenges and help make data centers future ready. Key takeaways include understanding how to: • Define and validate reference pod architectures that support >50 kW/rack and liquid cooling options • Implement factory-built liquid cooling systems to reduce commissioning risks and improve reliability. • Parallelize delivery by building pods offsite in parallel with development of the white space. • Navigate integration challenges for high-density racks and hybrid cooling environments.

This year, 24 selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch directly to **venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers and ABB executives**, gaining valuable exposure to key decision-makers across the data center ecosystem. The Data Center World **Innovation Challenge**, powered by ABB, will showcase the most exciting and impactful data center technologies currently on the market. Discover startups driving transformation, explore breakthrough solutions, and connect with the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. **New for 2026!** • **Innovation Alley**: Start-ups will showcase their solutions to thousands of data center professionals via a dedicated exhibit space. • **Innovation Challenge**: Pitch your solution to a panel of esteemed judges, with a chance for data center glory! • **Dedicated Networking Reception**: Mix and mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry. • **Keynote Level Exposure**: Winners will be announced at the Thursday DCW keynote.

Enterprise data center operators need liquid cooling for many of the same reasons hyperscalers do, including growing AI workloads, higher rack densities, and the need for energy efficiency. But enterprise data centers can face different challenges, such as having to retrofit cooling into existing buildings, keep critical workloads running during the transition, and overcome long supply chain delays in a hyperscaler-dominated market. Hear from data center leaders at LinkedIn and Northwestern University on why they needed liquid cooling, how they designed for it, the challenges they faced, and how they ultimately succeeded. Topics include: • Design options and trade-offs around rear door heat exchangers, in-rack and end-of-row CDUs, and perimeter-based designs • Infrastructure challenges such as electrical and mechanical upgrades, piping strategies, and maintaining operations during implementation • Workforce considerations including training requirements, maintenance protocols, and emergency response procedures for liquid-cooled environments • Rack density planning for a 100+ kW future

Successful liquid cooling deployments are all about understanding potential risks and having the right level of visibility into increasingly complex hybrid installations. This session will highlight how EkkoSense's unique, vendor-agnostic Cooling Anomalies Detection feature can help reduce the risks associated with today's high-density AI data center infrastructure. 3 Takeaways: 1) Cooling Anomalies Detection – provides early warning of impending air, liquid and chiller cooling issues. 2) Provides a breathing space to help data center teams respond to potential issues at both rack and site levels. 3) Recognizing the requirement for tighter tolerances and faster response as organizations look to optimize cooling at scale.

Join experts from Equinix, FM, and Delta Electronics for an in-depth discussion on lithium-ion battery safety in modern data centers. The session will present new insights from industry collaboration on fire‑hazard mitigation, including findings from large‑scale fire testing (LSFT), limitations of current testing standards and the evolving needs of Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs). The presentation will also highlight emerging pathways for future testing and certification standards. Key Takeaways: 1) Accurately Assess Lithium‑ion Battery Risks Understand the critical fire‑ and explosion‑hazard mechanisms associated with lithium‑ion batteries in data center environments, including how cabinet design, ventilation strategy, and operational conditions influence worst‑case outcomes. Attendees will leave with a clearer framework for evaluating risk in real facilities. 2) Apply Insights from Large‑Scale Fire Testing (LSFT) Learn how full‑scale lithium‑ion battery fire scenarios behave under controlled testing and what the results reveal about flame propagation, heat release, and gas‑generation hazards. See how these insights directly inform more effective containment designs and system‑level protection strategies. 3) Anticipate and Shape Future Industry Standards Learn how collaborative research across operators, manufacturers, and FM is influencing the next generation of testing methodologies, approval pathways, and AHJ expectations. Understand where the industry is heading—and what steps data centers and equipment manufacturers can take now to prepare for emerging requirements, including the expanding use of BBUs and other battery technologies.

Hengtong Full-Stack DC solutions, Optical Connectivity, Immersion Cooling, Intelligent Power and Services

Introducing E-House (Prefabricated Cabin) Solution for Data Centers. Takeway 1: E-House solutions' features and advantages. Takeway 2: Project References. Takeway 3: Certification and Company Introduction.

The data center sector is booming, but is it booming too fast? This panel brings together leading investors, analysts, and infrastructure experts to explore whether the current surge in data center development is a sustainable growth story or a speculative bubble on the brink. Panelists will weigh in on valuation trends, financing structures, regulatory headwinds, and the role of AI and SMRs in driving demand. Is this the next trillion-dollar opportunity, or are we overbuilding the backbone of the internet?

AI workloads are redefining data center power architecture. As rack densities accelerate and campuses scale beyond 100 MW, traditional double-conversion UPS systems and low-voltage AC distribution introduce avoidable conversion losses, dynamic response constraints, and scaling bottlenecks. This session explores how 800 VDC distribution paired with modern battery systems and advanced power conversion, enables a simplified, higher-efficiency, and more resilient architecture. Using AI workloads and energy storage capabilities as the guiding principles, next generation solutions have materialized that improve both efficiency and performance and are available today. Using DC distribution and energy storage reduces conversion stages, improves response to fast GPU load transients, and aligns data center infrastructure with proven microgrid control strategies. Drawing from real-world microgrid and distributed energy experience, this session connects high-power DC integration principles to the emerging AI data center — showing how converters and batteries can operate as an orchestrated system instead of isolated components. Key Takeaways An understanding of how and why DC distribution systems use energy storage as an integral active asset - not a passive backup system Insights and lessons learned from other industries on DC power distribution and battery integration DC power distribution provides inherent efficiency benefits - and moving away from traditional UPS is key.

This year, 24 selected startups will have the opportunity to pitch directly to **venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers and ABB executives**, gaining valuable exposure to key decision-makers across the data center ecosystem. The Data Center World **Innovation Challenge**, powered by ABB, will showcase the most exciting and impactful data center technologies currently on the market. Discover startups driving transformation, explore breakthrough solutions, and connect with the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. **New for 2026!** • **Innovation Alley**: Start-ups will showcase their solutions to thousands of data center professionals via a dedicated exhibit space. • **Innovation Challenge**: Pitch your solution to a panel of esteemed judges, with a chance for data center glory! • **Dedicated Networking Reception**: Mix and mingle with the movers and shakers in the industry. • **Keynote Level Exposure**: Winners will be announced at the Thursday DCW keynote.

Key Takeaways: • Overcoming the challenges of increasing server densities. • The future of compressor-less operation. • A dynamic data center infrastructure design

Addressing the challenges of DCIM and Digital Twins. Overcome data overload, prevent Digital Twins becoming Digital Orphans. How you can use advanced sensorCFD with AI analytical tools to save up to 10% of energy in your data center.

When surging power demand outpaces the grid, innovation becomes mission critical. Langley delivers a proven, behind-the-meter power solution providing scalable, stabilized, utility-grade power - exactly where and when it's needed. Langley's Power Solutions Division brings together three wholly owned subsidiaries, each a global leader in their field: Bergen Engines (formerly Rolls-Royce Bergen Engines) of Norway; Italian generator specialist Marelli Motori; and Germany's gold standard in power conditioning and stabilization, Piller Power Systems. Designed for speed and scale, our modular solutions can be rapidly deployed up to 500+ MW and beyond, dramatically cutting lead times. While traditional grid connections can take a decade or more, Langley's unrivalled time-to-power enables critical infrastructure to move forward - without waiting for the grid to catch up. Reliable. Scalable. AI-Ready.

• Speed: Single-source aeroderivative equipment manufacturer, EPC provider, and developer • Expertise: Track record for delivery to datacenters and utilities • Optimization: Bridge power with grid support and dispatchability

Dust off your cowboy boots and grab your bandana—Data Center World is gearing up for an unforgettable night of country-themed fun! As we set our sights on Nashville in 2027, this year's Conference Party will bring the heart and soul of the South straight to you with a lively hoedown you won't want to miss. Enjoy live country music, line dancing, authentic down-home cookin', lasso rope demonstrations and Southern-inspired libations. This is more than just a party—it's the ultimate networking event where connections are made, ideas are shared, and memories are created. So, are you ready to two-step your way to new opportunities? Don't miss this must-attend celebration of the data center community!

As AI data centers outgrow conventional commercial design, they must evolve into true industrial infrastructure. This session introduces MHI's system level approach, applying proven industrial energy, power, cooling, and control technologies to AI scale facilities. We illustrate the transition from grid dependent power to hybrid on site generation, from low voltage to medium voltage and HVDC distribution, and from air based to highly efficient water based cooling. We also show how plant grade monitoring and control enable global optimization across efficiency, reliability, and deployment speed. Attendees will gain a practical framework for building decarbonized AI infrastructure that scales responsibly and resiliently. 3 Takeaways: 1.Why AI data centers must evolve from commercial facilities to industrial infrastructure, using hybrid grid and on-site generation to overcome energy, reliability, and carbon constraints. 2.How integrated industrial-grade optimization—across power generation, HVDC distribution, cooling, heat recovery and plant-level control—outperforms siloed design approaches. 3.How modular systems accelerate megaproject deployment while improving efficiency, scalability, and overall performance.

The Data Center World Innovation Challenge, powered by ABB, showcases the most exciting and impactful new data center technologies currently on the market. This prestigious program celebrates startups that are driving innovation, delivering breakthrough solutions, and fostering connections within the ecosystem shaping the future of data centers. This year, 23 carefully selected startups had the opportunity to pitch their ideas directly to an influential panel of venture capitalists, accelerators, utilities, hyperscalers, and ABB executives. We'll find out who rose to the top across 5 categories. You won't want to miss this!

In his charismatic and entertaining style, Joe Theismann draws parallels between his successful career as an NFL quarterback and the business challenges facing leaders at this moment in the data center industry. Joe will explore what it takes to seize opportunities like industry leaders face today and also what it takes to stay on top and sustain success, season after season. He'll share his experience with effective leaders who know how to listen to people, trust them, and motivate individuals to take ownership of team goals. During a career that included bringing a Super Bowl championship to Washington, Joe earned both the NFL league MVP for his performance and NFL Man of the Year honors for his community service work off the field.

Join Nomad Futurist, iMasons Armed Forces, and AFCOM at Data Center World for a complimentary, comprehensive Career Day, designed to connect talent with opportunity across one of the fastest‑growing industries. This event is open to college-age students, educators and administrators, the military community (including military spouses), skilled tradespeople, and federal workers looking for their next step. The day begins with a welcome presentation and an industry overview. Attendees will hear from a panel of experts on key roles within the data center ecosystem and receive an introduction to the Job Matching Portal a unique matching platform that shows customized job matches in the industry. Participants will learn about available training pathways, including specialized data center training programs. The event also highlights local networking opportunities and community resources. At the end of the day, attendees can meet directly with hiring managers and local companies at dedicated tables, explore the expo hall to learn about Data Center technologies, and enjoy lunch. **Pre-Event Registration Required by Monday, April 20: ** https://imasons.org/activity/events-4-2026-armed-forces-amer-washington/ (https://imasons.org/activity/events-4-2026-armed-forces-amer-washington/) **Sponsored by:** • Data Center World • AFCOM • iMasons • Nomad Futurist

Data Center World will be hosting a high school STEM competition in partnership with JASON Learning. 24 high school students will compete across set STEM related digital challenges. The winners will be announced from the Uptime Stage at 12:15pm. Join the awards to support these future data center leaders!

Head down Data Center Alley and visit with leading data center solution providers. This is located just to the left of the entrance to the expo hall. Enjoy special treats throughout the week: • Tuesday – Popcorn Palooza! 2pm to 4pm • Wednesday – Cappuccinos and Lattes! 10am to 12pm * Thursday – Yummy Donuts! 10am to 12pm This is a great opportunity to learn about innovation in action.

Experience the thrill of the Golf Simulator on the expo floor at booth #1870, proudly sponsored by Voltaris Power. This exciting attraction features TRACKMAN ball flight tracker technology—the same cutting-edge system used at PGA Tour events—and Callaway golf clubs. Test your skills in the longest drive and closest-to-the-pin challenges or take your shot at the golden ball shootout competition for a chance to win the daily Grand Prize of $10,000 with a hole-in-one! While waiting for your turn at the Tee-box, be sure to speak with the team at Voltaris Power. Voltaris Power designs and delivers custom electrical power systems built around your needs — not the other way around. Powered by legacy companies Jefferson Electric and PCEP, Voltaris creates infrastructure that doesn't blink. From data centers to critical facilities, their custom systems — including Integrated Power Centers and PDU Transformers — deliver reliability, precision, and uninterrupted uptime.

We invite you to explore the **Innovation Alley**, located right outside the Expo Hall, where the **Innovation Challenge Finalists** are showcasing groundbreaking solutions and ideas. This is your chance to connect with visionary minds, experience cutting-edge technologies, and gain fresh insights that could transform your industry. Don't miss this unique opportunity to network, learn, and be inspired by the brightest innovators. Whether you're looking to spark new collaborations or simply witness the next big thing, Innovation Alley is the place to be. Plan your visit today and be part of the excitement!

Attendees will have the perfect opportunity to recharge both their devices and themselves in the dedicated mobile device charging lounge, a popular gathering spot throughout the event. Conveniently located in the Concourse Outside Expo Hall, the charging lounge is easily accessible from all major event areas, making it a natural stopping point between sessions, meetings, and expo floor visits.

New technologies for data center security are available in 2026 that will reduce staffing costs and increase security levels. There is increasing pressure to find ways to move security to the edge, increase security levels, improve efficiency, and decrease physical security costs. The new coming self-service automated data center check-in technologies will provide solutions in the near future. In this session, we will take a look at what is coming and some of the considerations that will help guide the development of data center physical security designs today and in the future.

In modern data centers, critical OT systems generate unprecedented data volumes, but much of its value remains locked in disconnected silos or hampered by legacy architectures. Realizing the full potential of real-time insights, predictive analytics, and intelligent automation requires an evolution in how we approach digital infrastructure. This panel brings together leading experts to explore the transformative power of modern data architectures in bridging the edge-to-cloud gap. We will deconstruct the core components of a future-proof data strategy, illuminating a clear pathway to unlock hidden value through a contextualized flow of information. The discussion will explore how foundational concepts like a Unified Namespace (UNS) create a single source of truth for all operational data. Experts Arlen Nipper (Cirrus Link) and Travis Cox (Inductive Automation) will detail the pivotal role of MQTT/Sparkplug B in enabling efficient, metadata-rich communication from edge devices. To ground these concepts, panelists from a major data center operator will provide a real-world perspective, sharing their journey of collecting and contextualizing data to drive tangible benefits such as energy optimization. Finally, we will connect these layers to the ultimate goal of enabling advanced AI and machine learning with clean, contextualized data.

AI-driven workloads are transforming data center design and operations, pushing the limits of power density, cooling capacity, and system complexity. Traditional monitoring and rule-based control approaches are no longer sufficient to keep up with rapidly shifting demands. This session introduces Executable Digital Twin (xDT) technology—originally developed for high-complexity industrial systems—as a breakthrough solution for the data center domain. xDTs integrate high-fidelity, multiphysics simulations with live data from IT and facility systems to continuously self-calibrate and adapt in real time. Attendees will discover how xDTs enable predictive maintenance, scenario testing, energy optimization, and virtual commissioning of control strategies—helping data centers operate more efficiently, reliably, and sustainably.

A Fireside Conversation with Governor Mike Dunleavy As demand for AI, cloud, and digital services accelerates, the search for scalable, sustainable, and resilient infrastructure has taken center stage. In this keynote conversation, Governor Mike Dunleavy joins Bill Kleyman to explore why Alaska is emerging as a compelling frontier for next-generation data center development. From natural cooling and abundant energy resources to strategic geographic positioning and economic incentives, Alaska offers a unique combination of advantages that extend beyond traditional site selection criteria. This session will unpack how the state is positioning itself to support the future of digital infrastructure—from hyperscale deployments to AI-ready facilities. Key takeaways: Natural cooling and climate-driven efficiency gains Access to diverse energy resources, including natural gas, hydro, geothermal, and emerging tidal technologies Strategic resilience and geographic advantages Economic development opportunities and incentives for operators and investors

The future of data centers is increasingly shaped by the evolution of energy technologies, both on-site and off-site. Rising demand, coupled with grid reliability challenges and escalating energy costs, has driven operators to adopt local energy solutions to ensure continuous service. Common strategies include battery energy storage systems (BESS) and natural gas or alternate-fuel generators, often deployed as primary backup or supplementary power sources. While these systems enhance resilience, they also introduce new safety considerations, particularly the potential for blast and fire hazards that could compromise operational continuity. This paper examines typical on-site power solutions currently implemented in data centers and evaluates the associated quantitative risks. The analysis integrates hazard identification with probabilistic risk assessment to characterize the likelihood and consequences of accidental explosions or fires originating from BESS units, fuel storage, pipelines or generator systems. In addition, the paper explores the structural response of data center enclosures to representative blast scenarios, highlighting vulnerabilities in modular and conventional designs. By bridging energy resiliency strategies with hazard and structural performance assessments, the study provides a framework for balancing reliability with safety. The findings aim to inform data center stakeholders on risk-informed decision making for future energy-integrated infrastructure.

As local scrutiny grows, successful data center deployment increasingly depends on proactive engagement, transparency, and delivering tangible community benefits. Experts discuss the top community concerns and how the industry can best address them.

This session will introduce hybrid adiabatic cooling as the best outdoor heat rejection solution to compliment indoor air cooling and liquid-cooling loops. Adiabatic cooling uses up to 95% less water than open cooling towers and can run water-free when in dry mode, directly addressing the fastest growing impediment to new data center projects - water consumption. Adiabatic cooling also improves PUE by allowing chillers and CDUs to cool more efficiently, and is ideally suited to a future where next-gen AI processors can be cooled at higher temperatures. Takeaway #1) Be Blue: Accelerate Time-To-Revenue and Lower WUE with Zero-Water Heat Rejection. With open cooling tower systems consuming hundreds of thousands to millions of gallons of water per day, communities are beginning to push back resulting in Data Center project delays and cancelations. Transitioning to Boreas dry coolers or VIRGA hybrid adiabatic coolers from Nimbus mitigates water-based project risks, creates a competitive advantage through accelerated permitting, while eliminating operational costs and health risks associated with standing water. With our BE BLUE commitment to smart, sustainable cooling, Nimbus is the heat rejection partner that can help you achieve faster time-to-revenue and lower your WUE to increase operating margins. Takeaway #2) Improve Cooling Power Economics: Maximize the ROI of Your Compute Infrastructure Across Hybrid Environments with Adiabatic Cooling. In an era of stranded power, every megawatt counts. Historically, cooling has accounted for up to 40% of a data center's power consumption. And today, operators are facing the messy reality of integrating new high-density liquid-cooled AI server racks into legacy air-cooled facilities. Attendees will learn how Nimbus provides a unified outdoor architecture that seamlessly supports air-cooled, liquid-cooled, and hybrid cooling environments. By combining deployment flexibility with the energy efficiency of adiabatic heat rejection, facilities can reduce cooling overhead and shift critical power capacity back to the server rack to improve compute productivity, token economics, and expand margins. Takeaway #3) Nimbus: Your Outdoor Heat Rejection Partner for the Long Term. As next-generation processor architectures like NVIDIA's Vera Rubin evolve toward greater thermal resilience, thermal loops will be able to cool server racks at higher temperatures. The transition to warmer return temperatures will dramatically lower OPEX in modern, liquid-cooled data centers. Attendees will learn how hybrid adiabatic cooling from Nimbus is engineered to capitalize on these warmer return temperatures to provide highly efficient free cooling that can effectively reduce or eliminate the need for expensive, energy-intensive mechanical chillers.

A growing number of hyperscalers are standardizing on reality capture platforms like DroneDeploy across their global data center portfolios. A unified, time-stamped visual record of every element, inside and outside, will be discussed that lets teams track progress over time, compare against BIM, and validate pay applications with photographic evidence. Docked drones and ground robots enable daily capture that feeds AI-driven progress tracking, safety monitoring, and early delay detection. Security is a selection criterion, not a feature. Solutions that guarantee data stays on trusted servers, paired with compliant robotics hardware, are becoming table stakes as governments worldwide tighten regulations on foreign-manufactured drones and robots. The same technology transitions into operations, powering automated roof inspections and interior asset inspections that shift maintenance from reactive to proactive. Key Takeaways Learn why hyperscalers are requiring one owner-controlled capture platform across all projects to create defensible, contractor-independent documentation. Discover how docked drones and ground robots turn reality capture into a continuous AI-driven intelligence feed for progress, safety, and quality. Understand how growing international restrictions on state-subsidized foreign hardware are changing vendor selection criteria for data center owners.