F E A T U R E
2025 FORECAST :
WHAT TO EXPECT FOR THE DATA CENTRE INDUSTRY
The start of a new year is a time for forward-thinking and strategic preparation . In this spirit , we ’ ve gathered insights from a diverse group of industry experts who share their perspectives on key trends shaping the future – from the influence of Gen Z to the evolution of power capacity and infrastructure technology . a
Alec Stewart , Partner , Cundall
The data centre industry is at the precipice of the next big leap . The advancements in AI and High- Performance Computing ( HPC ) have marked the end of the information age and the start of something else . These trends are reshaping data hall design and reorientating the expectations of operators and end-users for 2025 . The future of data centres is now a balance of densification , cooling resilience and operational flexibility – a roadmap that seeks to future-proof facilities quickly .
Firstly , the shift from purely air-cooled solutions to hybrid and liquid cooling methods will continue . Liquid cooling , mainly through direct-to-chip solutions supported by Coolant Distribution Units
( CDUs ), has become necessary to meet the needs of tenants who demand scalability and efficiency . Will the current split between air and liquidenabled cooling of roughly 40 – 50 % air and upwards of 90 % liquid remain for 2025 ? Probably .
Data centre operators are prioritising flexible cooling solutions to accommodate the different computing workloads such as regular and HPC cabinets in the same data halls . These hybrid data halls will become the new norm to account for the introduction of HPC racks into data centres rather than full HPC data centres .
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