Europe’s data centre sector continues to expand at pace, driven by cloud adoption, AI workloads and the growing demand for digital services. However, this rapid growth is also exposing a series of structural challenges that operators and developers must address simultaneously: rising power densities, increasingly ambitious sustainability targets, persistent skills shortages and the need for reliable, long-term technology partners.

These challenges will be at the centre of the discussion at Data Centre World London 2026, taking place on 4–5 March at ExCeL London, where Daikin will be present with its own stand (stand B140). As a global HVAC leader with long-standing experience in mission-critical environments, Daikin will use the event to engage with data centre stakeholders on how cooling strategies can support sustainable, resilient growth.

Take part and secure your spot.

A sector under pressure: skills, sustainability and complexity

Recent industry research confirms that data centre growth is increasingly constrained not only by infrastructure, but also by people and processes. According to the Uptime Institute Data Centre Staffing and Recruitment Survey 2025, recruiting and retaining qualified staff remains a top challenge for both colocation operators and enterprise data centre owners. Junior and mid-level operational roles are particularly difficult to fill and experience the highest turnover rates, increasing operational risk and placing additional strain on existing teams.

At the same time, sustainability expectations continue to rise. Regulatory pressure, customer requirements and corporate ESG commitments are pushing operators to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions, while still controlling capital and operating expenditure. Balancing efficiency, resilience, and cost is becoming more complex as power densities increase and new cooling architectures emerge to support high-density, AI-driven workloads.

Supply chain reliability and partner consistency represent a further challenge. Tight project timelines, long lead times and the need for coordinated delivery across multiple stakeholders mean that any weakness in quality, availability or support can have a significant impact on both project delivery and long-term performance. In this context, the choice of technology partners plays a critical role in reducing risk across the entire data centre lifecycle.

From technology provider to long-term partner

Addressing these challenges requires more than individual products. It calls for an integrated approach that combines proven technologies, application expertise and organisational capability. Daikin supports data centre projects through an end-to-end model that spans early-stage design support, system engineering, testing, commissioning and lifecycle services.

A dedicated data centre organisation brings together specialist engineers, application experts and project managers, enabling Daikin to respond quickly to evolving requirements and support a wide range of data centre designs. This structure is designed to simplify project coordination and provide continuity from concept through to operation.

Daikin’s capabilities are reflected in large-scale reference projects across Europe. A key example is the Hamar data centre in Norway, where Daikin supplied 71 free-cooling chillers and 330 fan array units, delivering a total installed cooling capacity of 115 MW. Projects of this scale highlight Daikin’s ability to support complex, high-capacity data centre developments with reliable and efficient cooling solutions.

From a manufacturing and validation perspective, Daikin benefits from strong European production and testing capabilities. Units are manufactured in dedicated facilities in Italy, where factory acceptance testing can be performed on systems with capacities of up to 10 MW. This approach helps reduce project risk, improve predictability and ensure that systems perform as expected once deployed on site.

Technologically, Daikin supports all major data centre cooling architectures, from established air- and water-cooled solutions to future-ready technologies such as liquid cooling and integrated heat recovery. This flexibility allows operators to select solutions aligned with their current requirements while remaining prepared for future capacity and efficiency demands.

Data Centre World London 2026: a platform for dialogue

At Data Centre World London 2026, Daikin will present its approach to data centre cooling through both technology showcases and direct engagement with its specialists. Alongside its established portfolio, Daikin will showcase its new Coolant Distribution Unit (CDU), designed to support high-density and AI-ready liquid-cooled architectures, reflecting the company’s ongoing investment in future-proof data centre technologies.

By focusing on practical challenges and concrete solutions, Daikin aims to contribute to a broader industry dialogue on how data centres can continue to grow sustainably and reliably. The event provides an opportunity not only to showcase technology, but also to reinforce the importance of long-term partnerships in navigating an increasingly complex data centre landscape.

Visit our landing page for a complete overview of our solutions and discover how they can meet your needs.

Daikin’s comprehensive portfolio for data centres, which includes:  

• Air-to-Water Free Cooling Chillers: designed to operate efficiently in ambient temperatures from –20°C to +55°C, these chillers take advantage of low outside air conditions to minimise mechanical cooling, reduce energy consumption, and extend equipment lifespan. With capacities ranging from 183 to 2154 kW, they are available with both scroll and Daikin-developed VFD screw compressors, delivering optimal part-load efficiency. The glycol-free options further improve efficiency while lowering maintenance requirements. In addition, Daikin’s proprietary refrigerant-cooled VFD ensures reliable performance under all operating conditions.  
  Read the full article to discover how to choose the right air-cooled chiller for data centres and why Daikin is the smart choice.
• Intelligent Data Centre Manager (iDCM): an AI-powered control system that continuously monitors and optimises chiller operations, ensuring long-term efficiency and reliability. 
  Read the full article on data centre control solutions and find out why choosing Daikin ensures efficiency, reliability, and advanced performance.
• Pro-W Fan Array Units: scalable cooling units available in four sizes (175–500 kW), designed for maximum flexibility to meet the requirements of data centres of any size, delivering both efficiency and resilience. 
• Pro-C CRAH Units: designed to meet the cooling demands of any data centre configuration, this solution features an optimised design and advanced control strategies to maximise performance and energy efficiency. With a cooling capacity ranging from 30 kW to 210 kW, it delivers outstanding flexibility and modularity, allowing seamless integration into any data centre layout and operational requirement.
  Learn more about the Daikin Pro-C CRAH range — optimised cooling performance for every data centre configuration.
• Pro-W Slim: offering 100–150 kW cooling capacity with high energy efficiency and a compact design that maximises IT space. Advanced controls provide precise temperature regulation, flexibility, redundancy, and low lifecycle operating costs for data centre applications.
  Discover our complete guide on selecting Air Handling Units for data centres — and see why Daikin makes the difference. 
• After-Sales Services: tailored preventive and corrective maintenance programmes, as well as real-time remote monitoring, to ensure uninterrupted performance. 
  Find out how to evaluate after-sales services for your data centre.
• Rental Cooling Equipment: flexible rental chiller solutions that provide additional redundancy when needed.  

Explore all our data centre solutions — download the Daikin product portfolio brochure for a comprehensive view of our offerings.