- As Singapore expands its data centre capacity, the programme explores pathways to scale AI efficiently in power-, water- and space-constrained environments.
- Johnson Controls contributes thermal management, controls, engineering and operational expertise to explore ways to reduce power and water use while increasing computing capacity.
- Research from the collaboration will help inform more efficient infrastructure designs for Singapore and other tropical markets.
SINGAPORE, Sept. 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Johnson Controls (NYSE: JCI), a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency and decarbonization, today announced its participation in the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT) 2.0, hosted at the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS). As Singapore expands its low-carbon digital infrastructure, including the recent allocation of an additional 200 MW of data centre capacity, STDCT 2.0 will evaluate next-generation AI and data centre technologies in a live tropical environment. Johnson Controls contributes its industry-leading thermal management technologies, smart controls, engineering expertise and operational experience to help advance infrastructure designs that enable AI at scale with greater efficiency and lower resource consumption.
(From Left to Right) Dr. Ursula Oesterle, vice president (Industry) at the National University of Singapore, Professor Lee Poh Seng, programme director of the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT) and head of Department of Mechanical Engineering at the College of Design and Engineering at the National University of Singapore, Ali Badreddine, vice president and general manager for Southeast Asia Business and Asia Pacific Data Centre Solutions, Johnson Controls and Austin Domenici, president, Data Centre Solutions, Johnson Controls, at the STDCT 2.0 signing ceremony.
Located on Jurong Island, STDCT 2.0 brings together industry and academia to evaluate emerging AI and data centre technologies under real-world tropical conditions. This forms part of a broader initiative with JTC Corporation and industry partners to transform Jurong Island into a living testbed for next-generation, low-carbon and AI-ready infrastructure. High temperatures and humidity present unique challenges for cooling performance, increasing the importance of efficient, reliable infrastructure. Research from the programme will help inform future data centre design across Singapore and other tropical markets.
Addressing AI Infrastructure Constraints
Johnson Controls helps data centre operators address the most critical constraints to responsible AI growth, including power availability, water consumption and infrastructure capacity. Through an integrated portfolio of thermal management technologies, Johnson Controls optimises the entire thermal ecosystem to improve efficiency and create additional computing capacity from existing power and infrastructure resources. In a modeled design, this integrated approach can reduce non-IT energy consumption by up to 50% compared with conventional cooling methods.
Johnson Controls is creating additional AI computing capacity from energy that would otherwise be lost as waste heat. In a 1-gigawatt data centre blueprint, a Johnson Controls absorption chiller reference design demonstrated the potential to convert the 57% of energy typically lost as waste heat from on-site power generation into productive cooling, enabling up to 97 MW of additional AI computing capacity from existing power infrastructure while reducing cooling-related electrical demand by up to 44%.
“Meeting the demands of advanced computing requires a new way of thinking about infrastructure,” said Austin Domenici, president, Data Centre Solutions, Johnson Controls. “As AI workloads continue to grow, success will depend not only on computing power, but on how efficiently we manage the resources behind it. Johnson Controls brings expertise across the full thermal ecosystem, helping customers improve efficiency, reduce resource consumption and enable greater computing capacity. This collaboration is an opportunity to explore and validate new approaches to infrastructure that can support the future of AI.”
Building a Future Platform for Innovation
Beyond evaluating next-generation technologies, STDCT 2.0 will support research, talent development and industry collaboration. Johnson Controls and NUS CDE will accelerate opportunities for advanced research, workforce training, innovation and knowledge sharing to support the continued growth of the data centre sector.
“As AI drives a new wave of infrastructure demand across Asia Pacific, advancing research, developing talent and strengthening industry collaboration will be critical to meeting that growth responsibly,” said Ali Badreddine, vice president and general manager for Southeast Asia Business and Asia Pacific Data Centre Solutions, Johnson Controls. “STDCT 2.0 brings these elements together to help advance AI-ready infrastructure across Singapore and the broader Asia Pacific region.”
“AI is fundamentally changing the design envelope for data centres, with much higher rack densities placing unprecedented demands on cooling, power, controls and resource efficiency,” said Professor Lee Poh Seng, programme director of the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed and head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NUS CDE. “STDCT 2.0 is designed to move beyond individual technologies and evaluate how these systems can be integrated and optimised as one infrastructure platform under real tropical operating conditions. Johnson Controls brings deep expertise in thermal management, controls and mission-critical infrastructure to this collaboration. Together, we aim to translate research into validated, deployable solutions that enable greater computing capacity with constrained power and water resources, while strengthening Singapore’s capabilities, talent base, and leadership in sustainable AI infrastructure.”
The announcement comes ahead of Data Centre World Asia 2026, taking place 29–30 September at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre in Singapore. Johnson Controls will be at Booth V20, discussing how thermal management, controls and infrastructure innovation enable organisations to support AI growth while getting more value from existing power, cooling and infrastructure resources.
About Johnson Controls:
Johnson Controls, a global leader in thermal management, mission-critical building systems, energy efficiency, and decarbonization, helps customers use energy more productively, reduce carbon emissions, and operate with the precision and resilience required in rapidly expanding industries such as data centres, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, advanced manufacturing, and higher education.
For more than 140 years, Johnson Controls has delivered performance where it really matters. Backed by advanced technology, lifecycle services and an industry-leading field organisation, we elevate customer performance, turn goals into real-world results and help move society forward.
Visit johnsoncontrols.com for more information and follow @JohnsonControls on social platforms.
About the Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT 2.0):
The Sustainable Tropical Data Centre Testbed (STDCT) is a joint research initiative led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and hosted by its College of Design and Engineering, in collaboration with leading industry partners.
STDCT 2.0 focuses on developing energy-efficient data centre designs that can operate reliably in tropical climates. The programme serves as a live testbed to evaluate, validate, and deploy sustainable innovations that reduce energy and water consumption while supporting dense, AI-driven operations.
For more information, visit https://cde.nus.edu.sg/stdct/
