AI models now evolve every six months, but data center infrastructure remains a 15-year investment. This widening gap leaves operators navigating political uncertainty, economic pressure, and a marketplace obsessed with rapid scale. While U.S. policy points to significant public investment in AI and semiconductors, looming budget scrutiny and election-year volatility raise questions about how much will truly materialize. Mega-projects like Stargate capture headlines with visions of limitless compute, but who really has the power, land, or capital to deliver? Traditional data centers may prove more resilient, yet they too face mounting pressure to adapt in an AI economy that’s moving faster than anyone can plan for. Join this panel to discuss:

• Real-time ROI: When will data center investments come to fruition?
• Spend money to make money: What are the best technological investments you can make today?
• Slow & steady: Does the data center industry have to accept we have overbuilt for an AI future that’s evolving too fast to plan for?

Liquid cooling promised to handle the heat, but today’s AI workloads are generating such extreme densities that even advanced systems are struggling to keep up. Hybrid cooling was meant to be a temporary bridge, but is it becoming the industry standard? Is the thermal load simply too great, or is liquid cooling failing to deliver at scale?

As operators reintroduce air into the equation, this debate explores whether hybrid solutions are a smart evolution or a sign that liquid cooling can’t stand on its own.

Held under Chatham House Rule, DCD>Debates are open discussions led by a panel of experts on the biggest issues facing the industry.

As data center design rapidly evolves, conversations around water usage, acoustics, and energy efficiency are heating up. Thermal management can often be viewed as an infrastructure requirement−not as a strategic growth lever. The reality is that thermal management isn't just a necessity; it’s a growth enabler at Trane. Join Steve Obstein, Vice President and General Manager of Trane Data Center Solutions, and discover how to transform your data center cooling strategy into a powerful growth enabler. This talk is essential for industry executives who want to implement an outcomes-based strategy and unlock greater efficiency for more sustainable operations.