Singapore-based Firmus Technologies has been honored with the prestigious Asia Pacific Data Centre Project of the Year award for its innovative AI Factory facility.
This facility stands out for its cutting-edge infrastructure and commitment to energy efficiency, underscoring broader efforts to sustainably meet the rising computational demands of AI. The AI Factory initiative represents Firmus’s strategy to transform ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC) into high-performance GPU-powered AI platforms. These redesigned centers feature state-of-the-art hardware and advanced cooling systems, delivering exceptional energy efficiency while addressing enterprise and research needs.
Recognizing the growing power demands of AI, Firmus has spent nearly a decade refining its AI Factory platform. This solution integrates advanced immersion cooling technology with reliable design, build, and operational expertise. Key benefits include:
- Energy efficiency: Achieving 45% higher FLOP per utility picoJoule compared to traditional centers.
- Cost-effectiveness: Reducing total cost of ownership by up to 30% versus direct-to-chip cooling platforms.
- Scalability and sustainability: Supporting high-density workloads while minimizing environmental impact.
- Global expertise: A proven track record in immersion-cooled data center operations across Singapore and Australia.
The Singapore-based AI Factory showcases how innovative infrastructure can meet AI’s energy demands sustainably. Achieving a pPUE of 1.02 and reducing energy consumption by 45%, the project aligns with Singapore’s National AI Strategy 2.0, which emphasizes sustainable AI and data center innovation.
Tim Rosenfield, co-CEO of Firmus Technologies, explained the broader vision, stating, “By rethinking data center design, we have created a platform that supports AI growth while promoting environmental sustainability. If we can do it in Singapore, where space and climate pose challenges, we can replicate this success anywhere.”
Firmus recently strengthened its leadership team with the addition of Dr. Daniel Kearney as chief technology officer. Formerly AWS’s Head of Technology for the ASEAN Enterprise business, Dr. Kearney now spearheads Firmus’s engineering efforts. Highlighting the importance of sustainable infrastructure, he remarked, “This recognition against established players affirms the critical role of our technology in addressing the energy demands of AI’s growth.”
The company continues to advance its initiatives through the Sustainable Metal Cloud (SMC), driving efficiency and sustainability in AI infrastructure. Recent milestones include:
- Publishing power efficiency data for the MLPerf Training benchmark.
- Contributing to global policy discussions, including the Tony Blair Institute’s AI energy policy agenda.
- Hosting panels at ATxSG24 with industry leaders like NVIDIA and Alibaba Cloud.
- Expanding HyperCube facilities, deploying the first fleet of Sustainable AI Factories globally.
- Engaging in NVIDIA GTC 2024 panels on sustainable AI with partners such as NVIDIA, Deloitte, and WEKA.
These efforts reinforce Firmus’s leadership in sustainable AI innovation, setting a benchmark for the industry.
