Scaleway selected for EU sovereign cloud framework

French cloud computing provider Scaleway has been selected by the European Commission as one of four cloud providers under the Cloud III Dynamic Purchasing System, a €180 million (£156 million) programme supporting access to sovereign cloud services for EU institutions. The framework, which runs for up to six years, enables EU bodies and agencies to procure cloud services through a pre-approved group of providers. Selection follows an evaluation process based on the European Commission’s Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which assesses legal, operational, and technical criteria. As part of the programme, Scaleway will be eligible to participate in project-specific competitions to deliver cloud services, including for sensitive and critical workloads. Cloud III is managed by the Directorate-General for Digital Services and was introduced in 2025 as the European Commission’s primary framework for cloud procurement. The initiative promotes a multi-cloud model, allowing institutions to select from a limited group of approved providers rather than relying on a single vendor. It is designed to support resilience, continuity, and flexibility across public sector digital infrastructure. The framework also supports deployment of cloud environments for critical systems, alongside fallback capabilities for existing cloud or on-premises infrastructure in the event of disruption. A framework supporting a sovereign and multi-cloud approach A key element is the Cloud Sovereignty Framework, which establishes a consistent set of criteria for assessing cloud providers. This is intended to improve transparency and standardisation in how sovereignty is defined and applied across the European cloud sector. Scaleway operates as a European-owned provider, with infrastructure and operations based within Europe. Its platform is designed to support data localisation and compliance with European regulatory requirements. Damien Lucas, CEO of Scaleway, comments, "At Scaleway, we are committed to contributing to Europe’s digital autonomy, not only through our technology and our alignment with European regulatory frameworks, but also through how we build and invest in our ecosystem. “Today, for every euro spent with Scaleway, around 68 cents are reinvested in the European economy, compared to around 20 cents when relying on international hyperscalers. "Directing investment towards truly European cloud providers helps strengthen local capabilities and ensures that value, expertise, and innovation remain anchored in Europe”. The company notes that the selection reflects an increasing focus across Europe on sovereign cloud infrastructure, as demand grows for secure, compliant platforms to support data and artificial intelligence workloads.

DE-CIX, Ooredoo link Doha IX to Marseille

Internet exchange (IX) operator DE-CIX and Qatari telecommunications company Ooredoo have connected Doha IX to DE-CIX Marseille, expanding international interconnection for networks in Qatar. The link connects Qatar’s first commercial internet exchange with a wider European ecosystem, enabling direct access to networks in Marseille and remote connectivity to those linked via DE-CIX Frankfurt. Doha IX is operated by Ooredoo under the DE-CIX-as-a-Service model and is hosted in one of the company’s data centres. The interconnection is intended to improve access to cloud platforms and digital services not currently available locally. The connection allows networks in Qatar to exchange data directly with almost 120 networks in Marseille, as well as access a broader pool of networks connected through Frankfurt, one of Europe’s largest internet exchanges. This supports lower-latency connectivity and provides additional resilience for cloud and content delivery. It also enables access to major cloud providers through dedicated and private connections, alongside tools designed to support hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Expanding low-latency access to global networks Since its launch in October, Doha IX has developed as a carrier-neutral interconnection hub, supporting local and international data exchange. The platform also offers services including cloud connectivity, IP transit, hosting, and colocation. Ivo Ivanov, CEO of DE-CIX, says, “The direct interconnection between the IXs in Doha and Marseille brings the world closer together. “By providing even better performance and user experience for internet-based content and applications, our collaboration with Ooredoo opens up new opportunities for Qatar’s digital economy. "Enhanced connectivity will further strengthen the digital ecosystem in the GCC, supporting economic growth and innovation while paving the way for the amazing digital decades ahead of us.” Hassan Ismail Al Emadi, Chief Business Officer at Ooredoo Qatar, adds, “The direct interconnection between Doha IX and DE-CIX Marseille represents a strategic expansion of Qatar’s global digital reach. “By linking our national interconnection platform with one of Europe’s leading internet exchange ecosystems, we are enabling differentiated digital performance through lower latency, enhanced resilience, and secure, seamless access to global cloud and content networks. "This collaboration reinforces Qatar’s position as a regional digital gateway and enables enterprises to operate with greater performance, reach, and competitiveness, accelerating digital transformation across Qatar and the wider GCC.” The companies say the development reflects continued investment in interconnection infrastructure to support growing demand for cloud services and international data exchange. For more from DE-CIX, click here.

Carrier opens €12m Montluel HVAC testing facility

Carrier, a manufacturer of HVAC, refrigeration, and fire and security equipment, has opened a new testing facility at its European Centre of Excellence in Montluel, France, to support the development of cooling and heating technologies for data centres, industry, and large commercial buildings. The €12 million (£10.4 million) investment expands the company’s research and development capacity, with a focus on high-performance systems aligned with electrification trends and the use of lower-impact refrigerants. Testing at the site follows Eurovent-certified performance methodologies. The expansion comes as demand for data centre infrastructure continues to grow across Europe. According to JLL’s 2026 Global Data Center Outlook, the EMEA region is expected to add 13GW of new capacity by 2030, driven by hyperscale deployments and artificial intelligence workloads, particularly in markets such as London, Frankfurt, and Paris. Increased capacity for HVAC system testing The new laboratory is designed to support testing across a wide range of operating conditions. It enables evaluation of air-cooled chillers up to 3,200kW, air-source heat pumps up to 1,500kW, and water-source systems up to 6,000kW. The facility can simulate temperatures ranging from −20°C to +60°C, with humidity control, and supports water flow rates of up to 1,600m³/h. This allows for testing under varied and demanding conditions relevant to real-world applications. Bertrand Rotagnon, Executive Director, Commercial Business Line and Data Centres Europe at Carrier, comments, “With these new test laboratory facilities, we’re raising the bar on how we support customers and partners in Europe. “The combination of higher test capacity and advanced environmental control lets us validate performance with zero tolerance, earlier, and bring solutions to market faster, giving customers the confidence to move ahead on high-efficiency cooling and heating for data centres, industry, and district heating.” Nicolas Fonte, Director, Systems Engineering at Carrier Climate Solutions Europe, adds, “The new testing facility expands our engineering team's ability to test and validate chillers and heat pumps for very wide and [the] most critical operating conditions. “This new equipment enables us to validate performance, with high precision, of next-generation chillers and large heat pump platforms supporting [increasing] customers' requests for future infrastructures.” The development forms part of the company's stated ongoing investment in HVAC technologies to meet increasing performance, efficiency, and regulatory requirements across European markets. For more from Carrier, click here.

OVHcloud expands quantum cloud platform with Quandela

OVHcloud, a French cloud computing provider, has made photonic quantum computing company Quandela’s Belenos quantum computer available through its Quantum platform, expanding access to quantum computing across Europe. The announcement was made at the Quantum Defence Summit, with the addition of Belenos marking a further development of OVHcloud’s cloud-based quantum offering. The OVHcloud Quantum platform provides access to quantum systems through a Quantum-as-a-Service model, allowing organisations to use quantum computing resources without requiring dedicated hardware. Belenos is based on photonic quantum technology and offers a capacity of 12 qubits. It is intended to support experimentation with algorithms across a range of areas, including image processing, artificial intelligence, and quantum machine learning. Potential applications also extend to fields such as simulation, engineering, and environmental modelling. Expanding access to quantum computing in Europe OVHcloud says it has been supporting the European quantum ecosystem since 2022, providing access to quantum emulators through its infrastructure. The platform currently includes multiple emulators, enabling users to test and develop applications across different quantum computing approaches. The addition of Belenos introduces a physical quantum processing unit to the platform, complementing existing emulator-based access. Miroslaw Klaba, R&D Director at OVHcloud, comments, “We are delighted to deliver on the promise of the Quantum platform by adding a second reference quantum computer, Belenos, from the French company Quandela. "The quantum revolution accelerates and OVHcloud is taking its part as the European cloud leader within the ecosystem.” The system is available through a usage-based pricing model, with billing calculated per second and no long-term commitment required. Niccolò Somaschi, CEO and co-founder of Quandela, notes, “The integration of Belenos 12 qubits into the OVHcloud portfolio marks a decisive step for quantum in Europe. Accessible through the cloud, this photonic computer becomes a concrete tool for businesses. "With OVHcloud, we are offering data scientists and innovators alike the means to develop their algorithms on a flexible and sovereign infrastructure.” The expansion reflects ongoing efforts to increase accessibility to quantum computing, supporting research and development across industry and academia. For more from OVHcloud, click here.

EPRI, OCP aim to advance DCs as flexible grid resources

EPRI (the Electric Power Research Institute), an independent, non-profit energy research and development organisation, and the Open Compute Project (OCP), a non-profit organisation that develops and shares open hardware standards and designs for data centre infrastructure, have announced a collaboration focused on developing data centres as flexible resources for power systems. The initiative aims to support digital infrastructure growth while improving how data centres interact with electricity networks, particularly as demand increases from artificial intelligence and other compute-intensive workloads. By working together, the organisations intend to support improved integration between data centres and power systems while developing technical frameworks to enable more flexible operation. Arshad Mansoor, President and CEO of EPRI, comments, “We’re in the midst of an energy revolution, and it must be smart, flexible, and innovative to keep rates affordable for customers across the globe. “Through this collaboration with OCP, EPRI is combining rigorous power system science with open, scalable data centre innovation to advance practical solutions that enable data centres to operate as flexible, grid-supporting resources - strengthening reliability and affordability for all.” Developing flexible data centre energy models The collaboration brings together stakeholders across the energy and data centre sectors, including a European group involving DCFlex, National Grid, NESO, PPC, RTE, and RWE. This group is working to develop frameworks that reflect operational requirements, with a focus on improving resilience and scalability as data centre capacity expands. Activities include work on shared standards, testing environments, and implementation guidance for flexible data centre operations. Zane Ball, Chief Technology Officer at OCP, notes, “With a growing member base and top-tier data centre expertise coming together with a single vision, our collaboration creates opportunities for harmonised standards, shared testing environments, and coordinated guidance for implementing flexible, resilient, and affordable data centre solutions.” EPRI says it is also supporting the work through field demonstrations at data centres in Europe and the United States, exploring flexible load approaches that could support grid stability and reduce barriers to connection.

LS Electric wins $115m data centre contract

LS Electric, a South Korean manufacturer of electrical equipment and automation systems, has secured a $115 million (£84.9 million) contract to supply power infrastructure for a series of data centre developments across North America. The projects will support major technology companies expanding capacity for artificial intelligence and other compute-intensive applications, where consistent and high-quality power is required. Under the agreement, LS Electric will deliver switchgear and distribution transformers designed for continuous operation in high-demand environments. Expanding North American manufacturing footprint The deal comes at a time as data centre operators are increasing focus on power systems that offer reliability, adaptability, and long-term support as facilities scale to meet rising workloads. Large-scale developments of this kind also require suppliers able to meet strict technical standards while maintaining consistent delivery across manufacturing, logistics, and on-site coordination. LS Electric says it will support the projects from design through to commissioning. To fulfil the contract, LS Electric will utilise its growing industrial presence in North America, including operations in Utah and Texas, such as MCM Engineering II and its Bastrop campus. These facilities will support production and system integration, as well as ongoing regional expansion in engineered power infrastructure. LS Electric states it will continue to expand its offering for the sector, focusing on technologies that support reliable and energy-efficient data centre performance. For more from LS Electric, click here.

Lonestar unveils space-based data storage service, StarVault

Lonestar, a space-based data storage company building orbital and lunar data centres, has announced the launch of StarVault, the "world's first" commercial space-based data storage service, alongside plans to expand its orbital infrastructure through a new agreement with Sidus Space, a US space and defence technology company. The platform is designed to store data off-planet, combining space-based infrastructure with cryptographic key management. It is intended for use by organisations seeking additional resilience for critical data. Lonestar has also ordered a second orbital payload from Sidus Space to increase storage capacity and redundancy. The first payload is currently in development and is scheduled to launch in October aboard the LizzieSat-4 satellite, with a second launch planned for 2027. Expansion of orbital data infrastructure The expansion follows earlier test missions and increasing interest from sectors including government, finance, and critical infrastructure. The StarVault platform is designed to provide an additional layer of data protection, supporting resilience against risks such as cyber incidents, environmental disruption, and geopolitical instability. Steve Eisele, CEO of Lonestar, says, “Demand for off-planet data security has exceeded expectations. With StarVault, we are not just launching a new category; we are scaling it.” Sidus Space is building the initial payload, with further deployments expected as Lonestar develops its orbital data storage network. The companies state that the initiative represents an early step in the development of space-based data infrastructure, with a focus on secure storage beyond traditional terrestrial data centres.

Mission Critical Group invests in WattEV

Mission Critical Group (MCG), a critical power infrastructure company, has announced a strategic investment in WattEV to support the development of 800V DC power infrastructure for AI data centres. The partnership focuses on advancing power delivery systems designed to meet the increasing demands of high-density AI workloads, including generative AI and inference applications. As part of the agreement, Mission Critical Group will support the industrialisation and deployment of a medium-voltage solid-state transformer (SST) platform. This technology is intended to enable the transition to 800V DC architectures within large-scale data centre environments. The companies state that traditional AC-based power systems are facing limitations as AI workloads scale, driving interest in alternative approaches to power distribution. The proposed 800V DC architecture enables direct conversion from medium-voltage AC, with the aim of improving efficiency and reducing system complexity. The modular design is intended to support flexible deployment, faster installation, and easier expansion. High-density power delivery Jeff Drees, CEO of Mission Critical Group, says, “We are building the next evolution in modular power delivery. The investment in WattEV highlights our commitment to advancing solutions for ultra-high-density AI workloads, including generative AI and inference.” Michael Maiello, SVP of Innovation at Mission Critical Group, adds, “We are moving beyond incremental improvements to a fundamentally different power architecture. "By converting the ultra-high-power demands of AI directly from medium-voltage AC to 800 VDC, we unlock the full efficiency and performance benefits of 800 VDC distribution.” Salim Youssefzadeh, CEO of WattEV, concludes, “Our technology is already proven in high-power, real-world applications where efficiency and reliability are critical. Together with MCG, we’re bringing that performance into the data centre to accelerate the adoption of 800 VDC architectures with confidence and speed.” The companies state that the collaboration aims to support the deployment of scalable power infrastructure for next-generation AI data centres. For more from Mission Critical Group, click here.

Carrier launches AquaEdge chiller

Carrier, a manufacturer of HVAC, refrigeration, and fire and security equipment, has introduced the AquaEdge 19MV4 centrifugal chiller, designed to support cooling requirements in high-density AI data centres. The system forms part of the company’s QuantumLeap portfolio and is intended for use in environments where increasing compute density and rising temperatures place pressure on existing cooling infrastructure. The chiller is designed to deliver between 2.1 MW and 3.3 MW of cooling capacity, supporting workloads driven by high-performance GPUs. It is also engineered to operate with chilled-water temperatures of up to 35°C and condensing temperatures up to 55°C, aligning with liquid cooling approaches such as direct-to-chip and rear-door heat exchangers. Designed for high-density cooling environments Carrier states that the system uses a variable-speed centrifugal compressor capable of operating between 10% and 100% load, allowing it to respond to fluctuating AI workloads without frequent cycling. Marti Urpinas, Senior Technical Manager, Vertical Markets EMEA, DC Applied at Carrier, comments, “AI workloads are reshaping data centre specifications, pushing our customers to seek greater thermal headroom without sacrificing power stability. "That sounds like a tall order, but the AquaEdge 19MV4 isn’t a ‘standard’ chiller; it’s a variable-speed centrifugal platform that delivers cooling continuity for high-density racks, even as operators push chilled-water temperatures higher to support direct-to-chip architectures.” The unit is designed to restart within 150 seconds following a power interruption, supporting thermal recovery and reducing the risk of overheating in high-density environments. It also incorporates harmonic filtering to limit electrical distortion and protect associated infrastructure, including uninterruptible power supplies (UPS). Carrier reports that the system can achieve a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 6.75 and an integrated part load value (IPLV) of 11.4 under AHRI test conditions. The chiller is available with refrigerants including R-1234ze and R-515B, supporting compliance with EU F-Gas regulations. Additionally, noise levels are specified at below 80dBA under defined operating conditions. For more from Carrier, click here.

ZIEHL-ABEGG highlights ZAbluefin fan

German ventilation manufacturer ZIEHL-ABEGG has outlined the performance characteristics of its ZAbluefin centrifugal fan, designed for HVAC and air handling unit applications. The fan uses a biomimetic blade design, including a corrugated leading edge and twisted geometry, to improve airflow efficiency. A serrated trailing edge is intended to reduce turbulence and noise while maintaining stable performance under varying airflow conditions. According to the company, the design supports energy efficiency at typical operating points, particularly in environments where airflow may be disrupted. Focus on efficiency and low-noise operation The ZAbluefin fan is designed to reduce sound output, with a focus on minimising tonal noise, making it suitable for noise-sensitive environments. Its performance curve allows for a wider operating range without flow separation, enabling system designers to meet different requirements without oversizing equipment. The fan is also intended to support compliance with current and future efficiency regulations. The product range covers diameters from 250mm to 1,120mm, with airflow capability of up to around 90,000m³/h and static pressure up to approximately 2,500Pa. This allows use across both compact and large-scale HVAC systems. ZIEHL-ABEGG has also developed a one-piece mounting system to support installation. The mount is designed for multiple orientations, including horizontal and vertical configurations, and is intended to simplify installation and reduce component variation. The company states that the combined fan and mounting design aims to improve efficiency, reduce noise, and simplify deployment across a range of HVAC applications. For more from ZIEHL-ABEGG, click here.