Boost ROI with modular, retrofit-ready liquid cooling, AI-driven controls and lifecycle services; target hyperscale, colocation and edge operators through strategic partnerships.
Dublin, Oct. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — “Data Center Cooling Market: Focus on Application, Product, and Region – Analysis and Forecast, 2026-2036” has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The global data center cooling market is projected to grow from $18.35 billion in 2025 to $141.19 billion by 2036, registering a CAGR of 17.02% during 2026-2036. Market expansion is being driven by rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), hyperscale and colocation data centers, rising rack power densities, and growing demand for energy-efficient and sustainable thermal management infrastructure.
The transition from conventional air-cooling systems to hybrid and liquid cooling architectures is reshaping the industry. AI servers, GPU-based systems, and specialized accelerators generate higher thermal loads than conventional computing equipment, placing traditional air cooling under increasing pressure. As a result, operators are investing in direct-to-chip liquid cooling, immersion cooling, rear-door heat exchangers, coolant distribution units (CDUs), intelligent airflow management, and advanced monitoring platforms.
Market Segmentation and Technology Outlook
Centralized data centers are expected to remain the leading segment, representing approximately 77.8% of global market value in 2025. Revenue from this category is forecast to increase from $14,271.4 million in 2025 to $111,233.8 million by 2036. Continued investment in hyperscale and colocation campuses will sustain demand for large-scale, reliable, and scalable cooling infrastructure. Decentralized and edge data centers will also expand as localized AI workloads and distributed computing become more prevalent.
Key market segments include:
Data center type: Centralized Data Center, Decentralized Data Center (Edge), and Decentralized Data Center (Others)Cooling type: Air Cooling and Liquid CoolingLiquid cooling solution: Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx) and Direct CoolingDirect liquid cooling technology: Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling System and Immersion Cooling SystemRegion: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest-of-the-World
Direct-to-chip liquid cooling is expected to remain the preferred direct liquid cooling technology for high-density environments. Its compatibility with existing server architectures and ability to remove heat directly from processors support adoption across AI and HPC deployments. Opportunities are also emerging in cold-plate design, coolant management, quick-disconnect systems, pumps, controls, standardized interfaces, and hybrid air and liquid cooling configurations.
Regional Data Center Cooling Market Trends
North America is projected to retain its position as the largest regional market, increasing from $7,981.6 million in 2025 to $76,888.2 million by 2036 at a CAGR of 18.84%. The region accounted for approximately 43.5% of global market value in 2025. Growth is supported by extensive hyperscale and colocation capacity, strong cloud adoption, rapid AI infrastructure deployment, and rising investment in advanced liquid cooling.
Asia-Pacific is expected to deliver significant growth as China, Japan, South Korea, India, ASEAN, and Rest-of-Asia-Pacific expand cloud, semiconductor, sovereign AI, and digital infrastructure. Europe will benefit from continued data center investment, sustainability requirements, and adoption of energy-efficient, water-efficient, and liquid-cooling technologies.
Market Drivers and Opportunities
AI, machine learning, and HPC represent the strongest demand catalysts. Increasing rack densities are encouraging hyperscale cloud providers, AI infrastructure developers, and colocation operators to deploy cooling systems capable of supporting more computing capacity within the same physical footprint. Expansion of hyperscale and colocation facilities is also increasing demand for modular cooling systems, scalable liquid distribution infrastructure, predictive maintenance, and intelligent thermal controls.
Sustainability is becoming a central procurement consideration. Operators are prioritizing solutions that reduce electricity consumption, improve Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE), limit water use, enable heat recovery, and support carbon-reduction targets. Closed-loop liquid architectures, economization, intelligent airflow management, and AI-driven thermal optimization are gaining strategic importance.
The growing retrofit market presents a substantial opportunity. Existing facilities designed for conventional enterprise workloads require modernization to accommodate AI, HPC, and GPU-intensive systems. Hybrid cooling enables operators to increase capacity and efficiency without undertaking a complete facility redesign. This trend is creating demand for CDUs, cold plates, heat exchangers, containment systems, monitoring software, engineering, installation, and lifecycle services.
Edge computing and distributed AI infrastructure provide another growth avenue. These deployments require compact, modular, and reliable cooling solutions that operate within constrained power, space, and environmental conditions.
Market Challenges
High capital expenditure and retrofit complexity may limit the pace of advanced cooling adoption. Liquid-cooling deployments can require piping, pumps, heat exchangers, monitoring systems, facility modifications, and revised maintenance procedures. Compatibility among server designs, coolant types, connectors, and cooling architectures also remains an important procurement consideration.
Power availability, water scarcity, grid constraints, and utility connection delays present additional challenges for large-scale data center expansion. Operators in water-stressed regions are evaluating closed-loop, dry, and water-efficient systems, although these configurations may increase engineering requirements and initial costs.
Competitive Landscape and Strategic Priorities
Competitive positioning in the data center cooling market increasingly depends on thermal performance, energy efficiency, operational reliability, scalability, AI readiness, sustainability, engineering expertise, and global service coverage. Vendors are strengthening integrated portfolios spanning precision air cooling, liquid cooling, chillers, controls, software, retrofit services, and lifecycle support.
Growth strategies are expected to prioritize hyperscale and colocation operators deploying AI infrastructure, alongside enterprise, telecommunications, and edge computing customers. Partnerships with semiconductor manufacturers, server OEMs, engineering firms, system integrators, and data center developers can accelerate commercialization and improve access to major projects.
Key companies profiled in the market include:
Schneider ElectricVertivSTULZ GmbHRittal GmbH & Co. KGJohnson Controls International plcDaikin Industries, Ltd.Trane Technologies plcCarrier Global CorporationMunters Group ABAiredale by ModineCoolIT Systems Inc.Submer TechnologiesZutaCore, Inc.Alfa Laval ABDanfoss A/S
Research Scope and Organizational Value
The market report evaluates demand by data center type, cooling technology, liquid cooling solution, region, and country. It combines interviews with senior industry stakeholders and analysis of company reports, investor materials, technical publications, government sources, industry associations, patent databases, and commercial databases. Findings cover market sizing, competitive benchmarking, pricing, investments, market shares, technology trends, regional growth, and emerging innovation.
Data center operators can use the research to assess migration from air cooling to liquid and hybrid architectures. Technology providers can identify opportunities in direct-to-chip cooling, immersion cooling, RDHx, CDUs, intelligent controls, and retrofit services. Investors and strategic planners can evaluate market entry, capacity expansion, partnerships, acquisitions, and product development across the rapidly evolving global data center cooling market.
Companies Featured
Schneider ElectricVertivSTULZ GmbHRittal GmbH & Co. KGJohnson Controls International plcDaikin Industries, Ltd.Trane Technologies plcCarrier Global CorporationMunters Group ABAiredale by ModineCoolIT Systems Inc.Submer TechnologiesZutaCore, Inc.Alfa Laval ABDanfoss A/S
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/4sl3vb
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