Padua, Italy: Critical digital infrastructure provider Vertiv has announced new investments at its Tognana campus near Padua, Italy, aimed at expanding manufacturing capacity and advanced testing capabilities for data center cooling systems.
The expansion comes as demand for AI-ready infrastructure and high-density computing continues to surge worldwide. Vertiv expects the investment to double its chiller production capacity by the end of 2026 while establishing a new large-scale testing laboratory scheduled to become operational in early 2027.
The move strengthens the company’s ability to support hyperscale data centers, enterprise customers, and AI workloads that require increasingly sophisticated thermal management solutions.
Vertiv Expands Cooling Manufacturing Capacity
As artificial intelligence accelerates the deployment of high-performance computing infrastructure, thermal management has become one of the industry’s biggest challenges.
To address this growing demand, Vertiv is expanding manufacturing operations at its Tognana facility, which serves as one of the company’s primary centers for cooling technology development.
The company expects the investment to significantly increase production capacity for large-scale chillers used in modern data centers while supporting customers deploying AI infrastructure at scale.
New Testing Laboratory for AI Cooling Systems
A key part of the expansion is a new large-scale thermal testing laboratory, expected to be completed in early 2027.
The facility will enable Vertiv to:
- Test large-capacity data center chillers
- Validate integration between chillers and liquid cooling systems
- Simulate high-density AI computing environments
- Evaluate cooling performance under extreme temperature conditions
- Support faster deployment of advanced thermal infrastructure
The testing capabilities are designed to help customers validate cooling system performance before deployment, reducing operational risks for AI-powered data centers.
AI Is Reshaping Data Center Infrastructure
According to Vertiv, artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing cooling requirements for modern computing environments.
AI training clusters and high-density processors generate significantly more heat than traditional enterprise workloads, increasing the need for advanced thermal management solutions.
Commenting on the announcement, Gio Albertazzi, CEO of Vertiv, said AI has created thermal challenges that were virtually nonexistent just a few years ago.
He noted that higher computing densities, faster deployment timelines, and increasing reliability requirements are driving demand for expanded manufacturing capacity and integrated testing capabilities.
Albertazzi added that the investment reinforces Vertiv’s position in delivering next-generation thermal management systems designed for current and future generations of AI processors.
Tognana Campus Drives Cooling Innovation
The Tognana campus serves as one of Vertiv’s global hubs for cooling technology innovation.
The facility brings together multiple functions under one location, including:
- Research and Development
- Product Management
- Manufacturing
- System Testing
- Customer Engagement
The campus also houses a Customer Experience Center, where customers, consultants, and partners can participate in witness testing of various cooling technologies under simulated real-world operating conditions.
This integrated approach allows organizations to evaluate thermal performance before implementing cooling infrastructure in production environments.
Growing Demand for AI Data Center Cooling
The expansion reflects a broader trend across the global data center industry.
As AI adoption accelerates, operators are investing heavily in liquid cooling technologies, advanced chillers, and energy-efficient thermal systems capable of supporting next-generation processors and GPU clusters.
Industry analysts expect demand for AI-ready cooling infrastructure to continue rising as hyperscale cloud providers, enterprises, and Global Capability Centers (GCCs) expand their AI computing capacity.
By increasing manufacturing output and investing in advanced testing facilities, Vertiv aims to support the next generation of AI infrastructure while helping customers deploy reliable, high-performance cooling solutions more efficiently.
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Ruchi Kumar is the associate editor at Entrepreneur News Network and TVW News India, where she leads editorial strategy, brand storytelling, and startup ecosystem coverage. With a strong focus on innovation, business, and marketing insights, he curates impactful narratives that spotlight India’s evolving entrepreneurial landscape. She has written extensively on fintech, AI and emerging startups.