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14 January 2026 Co-creating the future: How strategic partnerships will transform the data center Fabrizio LandiniGlobal Data Center Segment Leader
Discover the benefits of IT/OT convergence, plus our roadmap for achieving it in your own data center operations.
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Long story short The challenges facing data centers – from surging power demands to skilled talent shortages – are too complex for any single player to solve alone. Cross-industry partnerships aren’t just helpful; they’re essential. Why it matters We need to open channels of communication and fortify partnerships between technology vendors, public bodies, regulators, and data center operators now rather later. Unless we have genuine buy-in from every party across every industry, we can’t hope to transform data centers into efficient structures that are equipped to meet increased computational workloads. The full picture Sustainable operations, AI adoption, and resilient infrastructure are all closely linked: generating a chain reaction where one element must impact the next. Effectively managing this domino effect will require industry expertise from every sector. Utilities, data centers, governments, co-locators, AI startups, software vendors, and energy storage companies all need to play their connected parts. "It’s become a necessity for data center operators to work together with utilities and infrastructure partners, right from the start of the design cycle." A recent survey from the International Energy Association (IEA) found that power consumption by data centers in the United States is on course to account for nearly half the growth in electricity demand between now and 2030. And, due to AI-driven workloads, the U.S. is projected to consume more electricity in 2030 for processing data than all energy-intensive goods combined. Heavy compute loads can create thermal issues in the data center if they aren’t managed properly, with the failure of power and cooling systems responsible for around 71% of all outages. Inadequate technologies to facilitate data center cooling don’t just pose operational and business issues: they can also be detrimental to the climate. Overheated components contribute significantly to e-waste, which the United Nations projects will reach a staggering 74.7 million tonnes by 2030. A tech problem is an energy problem We know that modern data centers demand far higher efficiency and reliability. To meet these needs, the industry requires new, standardized reference designs. At Hitachi, we are already partnering with leading energy management and automation providers to deliver on that promise.
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Case study Schneider Electric Partnership Hitachi recently leveraged Schneider Electric’s medium-voltage portfolio to unlock additional efficiency opportunities across our customers’ entire operational lifecycle.
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In the past, professionals from the tech and energy industries weren’t necessarily required to interact with one another. Software architects and utility grid planners might never have come into contact and certainly wouldn’t have worked closely together on infrastructure projects. Now, it’s become a necessity for data center operators to work together with utilities and infrastructure partners right from the start of the design cycle. Failing to collaborate with industry outsiders could create a bottleneck and place undue strain on already stressed electrical grids, leaving data centers vulnerable to disruption. We’re already seeing real-life examples of this situation across the globe. Dublin has effectively paused new data center grid connections until at least 2028, due to severe grid constraints and soaring electricity demand from existing facilities. Even with land, capital, and skilled engineers in place, a data center is rendered useless without a viable grid connection. Hitachi’s partnership with Southwest Power Pool directly addresses this grid capacity challenge. Working with SPP and NVIDIA, we’re deploying AI solutions that reduce generator interconnection analysis times by 80%, turning what used to take weeks into days. This matters because there are currently 2+ terawatts of generating capacity waiting in queue – more than twice what the U.S. currently generates – held back by interconnection bottlenecks. Accelerating the analysis and approval process is crucial in order to unlock new power capacity that data centers desperately need.
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Case study Southwest Power Pool Working with SPP and NVIDIA, we’re deploying AI solutions that reduce generator interconnection analysis times by 80%, turning what used to take weeks into days.
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The partnership demonstrates that solving data center infrastructure challenges requires going far beyond the four walls of the facility itself. It requires engaging with utilities, grid operators, and energy providers from day one. The challenge is culture The truth is that the new levels of complexity we’re facing simply can’t be tackled alone. Once data center professionals see the ROI of cross-sector collaboration – for instance accelerating capacity delivery and operational continuity – they will be incentivized to embed energy expertise earlier in the design process. For example, engaging energy specialists during site selection and master planning processes, not just at the point of grid connection. We are already operationalizing cross-collaboration at Hitachi with the recent launch of Energy Hub for Data Centers, a scheme focused on making data centers more dynamic participants in the grid. Unfortunately, most of us in the technology sector are used to operating in a competitive environment, where securing financial advantage for our own companies is prioritized over working towards shared goals. Teams tend to chase their own targets and priorities, with little alignment on broader social and societal outcomes. Bridging these siloes starts with building trust and organizational buy-in. The most effective way to do that is by showcasing incremental wins.
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Case study BMW Group Long-term partnerships prove this collaborative approach works. BMW Group has trusted Hitachi Vantara to manage its global storage infrastructure since 2012, co-evolving as the automaker’s data needs grew from traditional manufacturing systems to Industry 4.0 workloads.
When business leaders see tangible progress, they begin to believe in the value of working as one unit and are more likely to commit to larger scale, collaborative projects. This sort of connection will underpin the creation of faster, cleaner data centers that can flex in line with future demand. “We all have a role to play in modelling a collaborative culture. One where egos are left at the door.” What’s next for the data centers of tomorrow? To transform energy-intensive facilities into key contributors to community resilience, we’ll need bold leaders who are willing to model a more collaborative culture for the next generation of talent. But we all have a role to play in modelling that culture. One where egos are left at the door. At Hitachi, we call this co-creation – where clients, partners, and internal divisions are all brought together to drive innovation. By combining expertise across industries, from AI to renewable energy integration to intelligent design, it will be possible to transform data centers into models of efficiency and environmental stewardship.
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Own the conversation Ask the big question: Will industry leaders be able to put their ego at the door, or is financial gain the only motivator for cross-industry collaboration? Disrupt your feed: If we can’t introduce outsiders into data center operations, our infrastructure will collapse in the face of unpredictable energy demand. Drop this fact: The cost to power a single server rack in the U.S. can be as high as almost $30,000 a year, depending on its configuration. By this measure, an organization could spend more than $3 million a year on data center energy alone.
