As compute escalates, so does the need for next-gen data center power and cooling solutions
AI workloads are placing an extraordinary demand on data center infrastructure. As energy consumption surges, data center operators must be able to distribute power effectively from grid to chip while removing excess heat generated by dense AI server clusters. Innovation in power conversion and cooling technologies is mission critical. Flex provides innovative power and cooling products, advanced manufacturing capabilities, and services that solve for data center power, heat, and scale challenges in the AI era. Flex and ST work collaboratively to fuel data center innovation through the advancement of efficient, reliable, embedded power solutions and cooling solutions.
Challenge
- Deliver next-gen power and cooling solutions that enable data center operators to address three of their biggest challenges: power, heat, and scale
Solution
- A long-term collaboration between Flex and ST, with shared roadmaps
- Innovative products from ST that utilize advanced semiconductor materials and technologies to enhance power delivery and energy efficiency in compute-dense environments
- ST offers a unique and extensive portfolio to address a wide range of cooling requirements. The portfolio includes pressure sensors, temperature sensors, microcontrollers, analog devices for coolant distribution units and cold plate liquid leakage detection
Impact
- Support Flex’s objective to deliver an end-to-end portfolio of power products, advanced cooling solutions, and services that address the entire data center —from grid to chip
- Enhance AI data center performance and global scalability with a complete portfolio of power and compute solutions, as well as cooling technologies
“
Three decades of collaboration with ST have empowered us to tackle the biggest challenges of AI data centers head-on: power, heat, and scale.”
Mattias Jansson, SVP, GM Embedded Power, Flex
Scaling rack power and dissipating heat efficiently
Electrical energy fuels the relentless demand for accelerated computing. As AI workloads surge, rack power requirements soar — 1+ megawatt (MW) racks are on the horizon — pushing grids to their limits and calling for a revolution in technology. Flex’s portfolio of critical and embedded power products is engineered to meet the intense demands of AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. At the core of this power ecosystem are ST’s specialized power chips, designed to deliver both continuous and peak power with up to 98 percent efficiency.
But delivering electricity is only half the challenge. A single 100 kW rack churns out the heat equivalent of 34 home furnaces running at full blast. To address this, Flex pairs its power solutions with state-of-the-art cooling technologies, ensuring computing servers run smoothly and reliably.
Why innovation is critical for AI infrastructures
The pursuit of greater power efficiency has driven remarkable technological evolution over the decades. Traditional silicon-based semiconductors laid the foundation for modern power electronics, offering reliable performance and cost-effectiveness. However, as demand for higher efficiency, faster switching, and greater thermal resilience intensified, wide-bandgap materials like silicon carbide (SiC) and gallium nitride (GaN) emerged as game-changers. SiC excels in high-voltage, high-temperature environments, slashing energy losses, while GaN delivers ultra-fast switching. As a pioneer in SiC and GaN technologies, ST upgraded its manufacturing sites early on, enabling partners such as Flex to access cutting-edge innovation and ensure a reliable chip supply.
“
Our close collaboration with ST unlocks innovations and drives breakthroughs, helping us always stay one step ahead.”
Mattias Jansson, SVP, GM Embedded Power, Flex
Data centers and the security challenge
Protecting power supplies from compromise and implementing robust authentication mechanisms are essential to ensure system integrity and prevent hacking. Behind the scenes, Flex taps into the trusted zone of the STM32 high-performance microcontrollers and microprocessors. This trusted zone acts as a vigilant gatekeeper, continuously monitoring and authenticating power devices. The company leverages the trusted zone in STM32 high performance microcontrollers and processors to monitor and authenticate data flows, thereby ensuring the highest levels of data integrity and protection throughout processing operations. Taking security a step further prevent unauthorized access, the company uses the STSAFE portfolio to authenticate power supply components within the power rack, as well as trusted platform modules to secure the computing IT racks.
As AI continues to evolve, the Flex and ST collaboration ensures that AI data centers will remain resilient, sustainable, and ready to drive the next wave of technological breakthroughs.
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