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BCS Consultancy launches data centre power division

BCS Consultancy, a global data centre consultancy, has launched a new Power Infrastructure division to help investors, developers, and operators address power requirements for data centre developments. Formerly operating as BCS’s Utilities team, the division reflects changes in the scale and complexity of power requirements as data centre development increases, driven in part by AI and more power-intensive workloads. Electricity network capacity, grid connection times, planning requirements, and infrastructure delivery are increasingly influencing whether proposed data centre developments can progress from the pipeline to operational capacity. BCS’s Data Centre Truths 2026 research found that 93% of industry respondents expect demand to continue rising, despite power supply becoming harder to secure. The consultancy says power availability is increasingly influencing site selection and investment decisions, with grid access alone no longer sufficient. Developers also need to establish whether power can be delivered to a site within a commercially viable timeframe. The Power Infrastructure division builds on more than 50 power infrastructure projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, as well as other regions. Its work covers power strategy and grid connections through to substations, cable routes, microgrids, and other power infrastructure. Led by Cameron Thompson (pictured above), previously Head of Utilities and now Head of Power Infrastructure at BCS Consultancy, the team will work with investors, landowners, developers, and operators from early-stage power planning through to infrastructure delivery. With some grid connection offers now extending into the 2030s, BCS is also working on alternative and transitional power strategies, including combinations of on-site generation, solar, and battery storage alongside longer-term grid connections. Power planning moves earlier in development Cameron Thompson, Head of Power Infrastructure at BCS Consultancy, says, “Power has always been fundamental to data centre development, but the conversation has shifted. Clients are coming to us much earlier, asking how they can make sites viable within the timeframes they need. “Power Infrastructure reflects that shift. By bringing strategy and delivery together, we can give clients a clear route to power, from early planning through to an energised site.” The division will coordinate power programmes across network operators, designers, original equipment manufacturers, contractors, land and planning teams, and other stakeholders. BCS says this coordination is becoming more important as power programmes increase in complexity, with delays often arising at the interfaces between grid connections and delivery. These can include design approvals, cable routes and land rights, long-lead equipment, civil engineering readiness, commissioning, and network witnessing. Chris Coward, COO of BCS Consultancy, comments, “Power increasingly determines where and when data centre projects can happen and, ultimately, whether they are commercially viable. "As the market shifts from announcing capacity to proving what can actually be delivered, clients need much greater certainty earlier in the development process. “Expanding our Power Infrastructure capability is a direct response to that shift. By combining specialist power strategy with our data centre land intelligence and delivery expertise, we can help clients make better decisions from the outset and support them all the way through to delivery and energisation.” For more from BCS Consultancy, click here.

Why water hygiene is key to data centre efficiency

AI is driving higher rack densities and increasing thermal loads, placing unprecedented demands on cooling infrastructure. In this exclusive article for DCNN, Gary Nicholls (pictured above), Managing Director of Swiftclean, discusses how proactive water quality management can help data centres maximise the efficient life of critical assets whilst improving operational resilience: According to the Uptime Institute, average rack power density increased by 38% between 2022 and 2024, largely down to the launch of generative AI to a mainstream audience. We are now on an irreversible trajectory that will continue to compound thermal and energy pressures on data centres and the systems that keep them cool. As the margin for error shrinks, cooling infrastructure must be managed with the same focus on reliability and resilience as other mission-critical systems. Many data centres are moving to liquid-based cooling systems that can manage rising thermal loads, so water quality plays a fundamental role in maintaining performance and reliability. With 40% of power usage in a data centre going towards cooling on average, and with water increasingly becoming the primary means of achieving appropriate temperatures, water hygiene is essential and can have a significant impact on operational efficiency and cost. Water quality: The hidden performance factor Closed-loop water systems are a critical part of many data centre cooling infrastructures, circulating treated water through chillers, heat exchangers, cooling distribution units, and associated pipework. Although these systems are designed to operate continuously for long periods, they remain vulnerable to gradual deterioration. Oxygen ingress, depleted corrosion inhibitors, microbiological activity, and the accumulation of suspended solids can all affect water quality over time. The result is a gradual decline in system performance, with corrosion, scale, and fouling reducing heat transfer efficiency and increasing the workload placed on pumps and other components. Equally as important, poor water hygiene can also affect system reliability. Corrosion and contamination can contribute to component degradation, increasing the potential for leaks, equipment damage, and unplanned downtime. Investing in advanced cooling technology is one part of the solution, but it does not guarantee long-term performance alone. Protecting both efficiency and reliability requires ongoing water testing and treatment to maintain the condition of the water circulating through the system. Why water sampling matters Because closed-loop cooling systems often operate quietly in the background, changes in water condition can go unnoticed until cooling performance begins to decline. By this stage, deterioration may already be affecting heat transfer efficiency or the condition of critical components. Regular water testing for microbial activity provides operators with visibility into system health, allowing changes in water quality to be identified before they become operational issues. Samples can be analysed for key indicators including poor water chemistry and a range of different bacteria. Water treatment is a lifecycle process Water Treatment for Closed Heating and Cooling Systems (BG 50/2021) provides best practice guidance for monitoring and maintaining closed circuits, including chilled water systems and closed condenser water systems. The guidance highlights the importance of corrosion control, pH management, dissolved gases, suspended solids, filtration, and microbiological control in maintaining system performance. BG 50 also reinforces that water treatment is not a one-off activity but a lifecycle process involving commissioning, testing, monitoring, and adjustment throughout the operational life of the system. For mission-critical environments such as data centres, this proactive approach supports equipment protection, energy efficiency, and operational resilience. Specialist expertise in mission-critical environments The increasing complexity of data centre infrastructure also places greater demands on those responsible for maintaining cooling systems. In high-security facilities, access to critical infrastructure is tightly controlled and maintenance windows are often limited. Specialist contractors must, therefore, combine technical expertise with robust security procedures and careful planning to ensure essential water treatment and testing activities can be completed efficiently without affecting site security or operational continuity. As AI continues to increase the demands placed on data centre cooling systems, water hygiene should be treated as an operational risk control measure rather than a routine maintenance activity. Through regular water testing, effective treatment strategies, and proactive maintenance, operators can preserve thermal performance, extend equipment life, and reduce the likelihood of cooling-related downtime.

Henkel publishes latest edition of Uniquely Wired

Uniquely Wired is a curiosity-driven platform for people who think about connectivity for a living. Across the podcast, the print magazine, and conferences worldwide, Henkel, a German manufacturer of adhesives, sealants, and consumer brands like Schwarzkopf and Pritt, explores the breakthroughs, bottlenecks, and big shifts defining data telecom, semiconductors, AI, and automation. No borders between disciplines, no ceiling on where the thinking goes, just the people whose brains push the industry forward, talking to people like them. In Henkel's brand-new Volume 2 of the magazine, futurist Bernard Marr reflects on how fast an industry can really move before something breaks. Beyond this, Vishal Kirti of Cisco Systems gets into the silicon behind the internet, Agnes Heftberger talks about Germany's path to becoming an AI powerhouse, and half a dozen other engineers and leaders present a genuinely different way of seeing where this is all heading. Connectivity is everything, and Uniquely Wired Volume 2 proves it. Download it now!

Schneider Electric appoints new SVP in Europe

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has appointed Damien Dhellemmes as Senior Vice President of its Secure Power and Data Center business in Europe. Damien has more than 30 years of experience at Schneider Electric, including senior operational and supply chain roles in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Most recently, he served as Senior Vice President of Schneider Electric’s Digital Energy business globally, where he worked on digital transformation through software, automation, and energy management. During his time in Digital Energy, the business saw reported growth and demand across areas including healthcare, public administration, real estate, and data centres. Having recently relocated to Paris, Damien will lead Schneider Electric’s Secure Power and Data Center business across Europe, working with customers, partners, and regional teams as demand for AI infrastructure continues to grow. His responsibilities will include Schneider Electric’s prefabricated power and three-phase UPS technologies, its EcoStruxure Data Center portfolio, Motivair by Schneider Electric liquid cooling systems, and EcoStruxure Software and Services. He will also work with the company’s existing AI ecosystem partnerships, including NVIDIA and AMD. New appointment for data centre growth Damien comments, "The data centre industry has entered one of the most exciting and demanding periods in its history and Europe has a unique opportunity to lead the next wave of AI leadership. "As the global energy technology partner for data centres and AI, Schneider Electric is perfectly positioned to help partners and customers capture demand. By combining our expertise across power, cooling, software, and services with our longstanding ecosystem partnerships, our customers can build infrastructure that is not only faster and more resilient from inception, but more efficient and sustainable.” Schneider Electric says Damien's operational and customer experience will support its work with customers deploying AI infrastructure, including efforts to reduce project risk and integrate power, cooling, software, and services. His tenure as Senior Vice President, Secure Power and Data Centers for Europe begins with immediate effect. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.

Epsilon, Megaport expand North American network reach

Epsilon Telecommunications, a global connectivity provider offering network, cloud, and colocation services, and Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider Megaport have partnered to expand Epsilon’s network footprint in North America. The partnership allows customers to access Megaport’s compute, network, and storage infrastructure across the USA and Canada through Epsilon, with software-defined connectivity to data centre, cloud, and internet exchange hubs across the region. North America is expected to account for 43% of a global addressable IT market worth more than $6 trillion (£4.5 trillion) in 2026, according to Omdia. The companies say their partnership provides on-demand connectivity across their software-defined networks, in response to demand for connectivity between key markets in the USA and Canada. Customers can access additional destinations through a single connectivity service, whether expanding within North America or entering the region from international markets. Warren Aw, Chief Commercial Officer at Epsilon, comments, “North America is a key market for our customers, with growing demand for high-performance access to cloud, data centres, and digital infrastructure across the region. “By partnering with Megaport, we’re simplifying how our customers can connect and accelerate their growth in the United States and Canada. Together, we’re hugely expanding the opportunities available to our customers and making global connectivity more seamless than ever.” Connectivity across North America The partnership enables cloud access across North America, bringing applications closer to customers and their users, whilst allowing cloud regions to be connected on demand. It also supports content delivery across markets and business continuity through geographically redundant backup environments. Misha Cetrone, Executive VP, NAM & Global Alliances at Megaport, says, “Our collaboration with Epsilon brings together two complementary platforms to give customers more choice in how and where they connect. “We’re combining our strengths for unparalleled global connectivity, while creating new compute, network, and storage possibilities for businesses around the world. We’re excited to help more customers connect and grow across North America with our automated, globally connected infrastructure platform.” Epsilon and Megaport say organisations in Europe, Asia Pacific, and other international markets can also use the connectivity service to expand into North America and scale workloads across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. For more from Epsilon, click here.

DataX Connect salary survey finds data centre pay gaps

UK data centre recruitment company DataX Connect has released the results of its 2026 Data Centre Salary Survey, drawing on responses from more than 1,700 data centre professionals across the UK, Europe, and the USA. The findings indicate a mobile talent market in which salary remains an important consideration, whilst career development, benefits, and progression are increasingly influencing decisions to stay with an employer or move elsewhere. The research also proposes a gender disparity, with more than 46% of women surveyed in Europe saying their gender had negatively affected their compensation or career progression. Almost four in 10 professionals in permanent roles in both Europe and the USA plan to change companies in the next 12 months, despite 65% of European and 71% of US respondents receiving a salary increase over the past year. In Europe, career development is the biggest reason for considering a move, while salary remains the leading factor in the USA, with career development close behind. Key findings include: • Pay rises do not guarantee retention: 38.8% of permanent professionals in Europe and 37.8% in the USA plan to change companies in the next 12 months. In Europe, career development is the biggest reason for considering a move, cited by 36.0% of respondents, while in the USA salary leads at 31.4%, followed by career development at 29.5%. • Gender continues to affect pay and progression: Nearly half of women surveyed say their gender has affected their pay or career progression, with 97% of those reporting a negative impact. The figure is 46.4% among women in Europe and 51.4% in the USA, compared with 1.7% of men in Europe and 2.2% in the USA. • Adjacent industries provide a potential talent pool: 41.7% of European respondents worked in energy or semiconductor/pharmaceutical roles before entering the data centre sector. In the USA, 36.9% came from energy or military backgrounds. • Benefit preferences vary by region: Shares, stocks, or equity are the most requested additional benefit in Europe, selected by 30.3% of respondents. In the USA, car or fuel allowance is the most requested (at 38.1%). Career development emerges as a key factor The findings of the 2026 Salary Survey point to opportunities for employers and professionals, whilst also highlighting changing expectations around benefits, career progression, and recruitment. Salary remains an important factor, but the survey indicates that employers may need to consider what employees value beyond pay, while also creating clearer routes for progression and looking beyond traditional data centre backgrounds when recruiting. Andy Davis, Director at DataX Connect and Data eXec, and host of the Inside Data Centre Podcast, comments, "The biggest takeaway from this year's Salary Survey is that there isn't one simple answer to the talent challenge. Pay is important, but so is career progression, the benefits people value, and, increasingly, where the skills we need actually exist. "The challenge now is turning that insight into better decisions around where we recruit, how we attract people, and how we retain them. Nearly half of women in our survey say their gender has affected their pay or career progression, and one of the clearest drivers is the lack of visible female role models in senior data centre roles. If people can't see a path for themselves, they're far less likely to stick around and carve one out. Closing that gap, and the gender pay gap alongside it, is vital to the future of this industry." The full 2026 Data Centre Salary Survey reports for Europe and the USA are available from the DataX Connect website. For more from DataX Connect, click here.

GreenScale publishes data centre grid design guidance

GreenScale, a developer of hyperscale data centre campuses, has published open-source design requirements to help data centre operators adapt mechanical and electrical (M&E) infrastructure to variable AI loads and evolving grid codes. The document, Grid & AI Load Compatibility: System Design Requirements for AI Load, Grid Code & Fault Ride-Through, was developed with contributions from vendors, partners, and independent experts. It outlines considerations for managing variable AI power demand, meeting grid connection requirements, complying with fault ride-through rules, supporting demand response, and adapting to future changes in grid codes and tenant load profiles. GreenScale says the guidance is intended to give operators a practical starting point for developing their own designs, reducing duplicated work and helping the industry progress towards compliance. Fault ride-through requirements are emerging as data centres become more significant participants in the electricity system, where grid stability is a shared objective. However, grid codes vary by region and continue to evolve, leaving no widely adopted common specification for data centre power systems to be designed and tested against. Liam Newcombe, SVP Product, Energy Strategy and Innovation at GreenScale, notes, “The deployment of AI requires data centres to move from being simple customers of the electricity grid to participants in the grid. "Data centres as a class are now large enough to impact grid stability, which means facilities need to adapt, incorporating capabilities such as fault ride-through to ensure this impact is positive, resulting in a resilient, stable grid. "The task is no longer simply to protect the IT equipment from the grid, but to meet the combined requirements of the IT equipment, data centre infrastructure, and electricity grid. “This document is published as a work in progress. It provides an initial approach that we hope others in the industry will test, challenge, and improve. By publishing it open-source, we hope to provide a useful starting point for others, sharing our learnings both direct and from our contributors.” Addressing evolving grid requirements The guidance promotes a base system design that accounts for foreseeable operating conditions, including load- and site-specific constraints that affect design, equipment selection, and specification. Examples include specifying uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems with fault ride-through capabilities and mechanical equipment able to operate across required voltage and frequency ranges. Liam says adaptability was a central principle, as AI load profiles, grid codes, and flexibility requirements continue to develop. The guidance aims to help project teams make proportionate decisions now and reduce the risk of costly equipment changes later. GreenScale suggests that modelling, technical data, and design knowledge developed through early projects could also be transferable to future data centre developments. The document is released under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licence, allowing companies and individuals to use and build upon it under the licence terms. GreenScale is inviting data centre operators, designers, engineering consultants, utilities, technology providers, and independent experts to review and reuse the document, as well as to contribute to further industry discussion. For more from GreenScale, click here.

Huawei Cloud rolls out enterprise AI products

On 18 September, Peter Zhou, Director of the Board at Huawei and CEO of Huawei Cloud, delivered a keynote titled The Agentic Cloud for the Agentic World: Build Together, Grow Together at Huawei Connect 2026. He shared Huawei Cloud's latest progress. He announced the global launch of the latest AI Cluster Service (AICS), a key step in Huawei Cloud's strategy to strengthen the silicon bedrock on the cloud and reinforce the foundation for agentic AI. The keynote also highlighted the Agentic Model as a Service (MaaS) platform, which brings together diverse models to accelerate model capabilities as services at scale. The AgentArts enterprise-grade agent platform already serves over 100 enterprises. The Industry AI Foundry has accumulated more than 1,000 industry assets, with over 1,000 projects deployed. The Industry AI Foundry now includes two new zones, Smart Government Zone and AI Hardware Zone, to drive agents toward large-scale adoption. These efforts, taken together, are building a thriving AI ecosystem on the cloud. Building Agentic Infra for agents Peter also highlighted that, in the agentic era, infrastructure no longer simply exists to provide compute. Instead, its purpose has expanded to making every token more efficient, coordinating general and AI compute, enabling models to keep learning, and, more importantly, running agents securely and reliably within real production environments. Huawei Cloud has defined Agentic Infra, a new paradigm around efficient tokens, enhanced memory, unified general & AI scheduling, and secure autonomy. To date, Agentic Infra has served over 3,500 customers. • The latest AICS is built on a five-level fast recovery mechanism with full-chain observability. It supports over 40 days of stable training on cloud and is capable of fault recovery within 10 minutes. Furthermore, supported by coordinated optimisation across scheduling, cache, and algorithms, it delivers 20% higher token throughput than the previous generation of compute service. The latest AICS will be commercially available in China on 30 September and in markets outside China on 30 November. • The Context Memory Storage (CMS) solution addresses the needs of long-horizon agent tasks for memory capacity and access efficiency. It provides a petabyte-scale memory space, twice the storage capacity of comparable industry products, and supports high-speed terabyte-scale memory reads with 50% higher performance than industry peers. • Agentic MaaS brings together diverse models, enabling developers to invoke state-of-the-art (SOTA) models from leading providers with just one click and no deployment required. At the event, MiniMax demonstrated its advanced multimodal model, which, combined with Huawei Cloud, delivers open, cutting-edge multimodal capabilities. Building an enterprise-grade agent platform to help enterprises develop and use agents effectively Huawei Cloud is advancing its enterprise-grade agent platform through a dual approach: commercial and open source. Built on AgentArts and its open-source edition, openJiuwen, the platform opens up more than 5,000 general Model Context Protocol (MCP) assets and over 1,000 industry-specific MCP assets, making it easier for enterprises to develop, use, and manage agents. To date, the platform has served more than 100 customers, including the Shenzhen Longgang District Government, China Southern Power Grid, Guangzhou Laboratory, the University of Science and Technology of China, Kingsoft Office, Sichuan Yingu Carbon Sink Renewable Resources Co., Ltd., Changsha Thunder Cloud Network Technology Co., Ltd., and KingMed Diagnostics. At the event, Kingsoft Office shared its implementation practices based on Huawei Cloud's agent platform. By deeply integrating the agent platform with the WPS 365 Document Center and WPS Comate, Kingsoft Office has built vertical office agents that are now deployed across multiple industries, including finance and government. Huawei Cloud has announced that AgentArts will be commercially available in markets outside China on 30 December. To date, the openJiuwen open-source community has surpassed 50,000 stars and 3.29 million downloads. Together with Chinasoft International, iSoftStone Group, and Beiming Software, Huawei Cloud has launched partner commercial editions and shared a broad market space, helping partners thrive on Huawei Cloud's silicon bedrock. Advancing the Industry AI Foundry to accelerate AI adoption at scale across industries Through the Industry AI Foundry, Huawei Cloud brings together assets such as industry scenarios, models, data, knowledge, and agents, turning industry know-how from isolated project experience into reusable industry capabilities. It has built five industry-specific zones — Smart Healthcare Zone, Embodied AI Zone, AI for Science (AI4S) Zone, Smart Manufacturing Zone, and Smart Finance Zone — with over 1,000 industry-specific assets and more than 1,000 deployed projects. Two new zones have been launched within the Industry AI Foundry: Smart Government Zone and AI Hardware Zone. The Smart Government Zone has already brought together 24 founding partners, covering a range of scenarios such as government office operations, public services, urban governance, and industry development. The AI Hardware Zone has onboarded 15 core partners, covering more than 20 device types, including AI glasses, AI toys, and AI recording cards, along with over 10 scenario templates and more than 110 scenario skills. From infrastructure and enterprise-grade agent platforms to industry ecosystems, Huawei Cloud is committed to building an open agentic cloud, with open infrastructure to power AI, an open platform to support enterprises in effectively developing and using agents, and an open industry ecosystem to accelerate AI adoption at scale. Ultimately, Huawei Cloud looks to move forward with customers and partners to build and grow together in the agentic era. Themed Advancing the Agentic World, Huawei Connect 2026 delved into AI across three dimensions: strategy, technology, and ecosystems. You can catch up on in-depth looks at Huawei's latest strategic initiatives, and how the company also unveiled its all-new digital and intelligent infrastructure products, scenario-specific solutions for industries, and development tools. The event ran from 17 to 19 September at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center and Shanghai Expo Center. For more information, please visit Huawei Connect 2026 online by clicking here. For more from Huawei, click here.

Kao Data appoints new CFO

Data centre developer and operator Kao Data has appointed Bruce Claassen as Chief Financial Officer (CFO), with the appointment taking effect on 1 October 2026. Bruce joins Kao Data as the company progresses developments in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and Park Royal, West London, alongside its AI-ready campus in Harlow, Essex. He brings more than 20 years of experience leading finance organisations across multinational and multi-sector businesses, with experience in capital investment, refinancing, and finance team development. Bruce joins from Global Switch, where he spent four years as Group Finance Director and most recently Acting CFO, leading the company's finance organisation across Europe and APAC, overseeing refinancing programmes, and supporting its international expansion. He comments, “The data centre industry is experiencing an unprecedented period of transformation, and I am excited to be joining one of the UK’s leading digital infrastructure businesses as it continues to support growing demand from the AI and hyperscale cloud sectors. “I look forward to working closely with the board, our investors, and the leadership team to deliver Kao Data's long-term growth strategy, building on the company’s strong foundations and reputation for developing and operating data centres engineered for AI and advanced computing workloads.” New CFO joins as Kao Data expands Spencer Lamb, CEO at Kao Data, says, “Bruce brings extensive experience of operating within fast-paced, high-growth, private equity-backed businesses, together with deep expertise in capital investment and refinancing. “We are delighted to welcome him to Kao Data as CFO. His combination of digital infrastructure expertise, financial leadership, and private equity experience makes him an excellent fit as we continue to accelerate our growth ambitions and meet increasing customer demand.” Bruce began his career in international listed companies before moving into senior finance roles at Towergate, Worldpay, RAC, and Global Switch. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant in London and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. For more from Kao Data, click here.

Schneider Electric unveils software-defined MV switchgear

Global energy technology company Schneider Electric has unveiled what it describes as the world's first fully software-defined medium-voltage (MV) switchgear, designed to change how electrical distribution systems are deployed and operated for AI factories and other applications. Announced at YOTTA 2026 in Las Vegas, USA, the equipment forms part of Schneider Electric's Software Defined Energy approach, which separates system intelligence from hardware and uses software to add functionality and performance updates. Traditional MV systems often rely on engineered-to-order designs, which can result in longer lead times and complex procurement. Schneider Electric's software-defined approach uses standardised hardware platforms and over-the-air software updates, allowing functionality to be changed without physical modifications. The company says the modular architecture can reduce system complexity, with less wiring and fewer components. Based on Schneider Electric's studies and estimates, the approach can deliver up to three times faster ordering and manufacturing, whilst digital commissioning processes can enable up to twice as fast commissioning and on-site acceptance testing. Software-defined approach to medium-voltage equipment The equipment includes connectivity and analytics for real-time system monitoring, alongside AI-powered predictive maintenance through EcoCare Services. Schneider Electric says this can provide greater visibility into system performance and help reduce unplanned downtime. Melton Chang, Executive Vice President, Power Systems Division at Schneider Electric, notes, “Data centres are being asked to build faster than traditional power infrastructure can move. “With Software Defined MV switchgear, we are bringing the logic of software to medium-voltage equipment so customers can deploy in a fraction of the time, standardise across regions, and add new capabilities with zero downtime.” The equipment has already been deployed through a pilot with Equinix in a live colocation data centre environment. Greg Metcalf, Senior Director, Global Data Center Design and Innovation at Equinix, comments, “Software Defined MV Equipment transform the way we design, procure, build, and operate MV switchgear, allowing increased standardisation for multiple use cases whilst maintaining the highest standards of safety, quality, and reliability. “We look forward to deepening our collaboration with Schneider Electric as we continue to innovate and scale for the future.” Schneider Electric plans to extend the software-defined MV architecture across its medium-voltage portfolio and, progressively, other parts of the powertrain. Pilot programmes are expected to continue through 2027, with broader availability planned from 2028. The company says the approach is intended to support faster project execution, greater operational visibility, and lifecycle-based service models for electrical infrastructure. For more from Schneider Electric, click here.