Thermal management at the Edge: challenges and solutions
High-performance chips are moving beyond traditional data centers into industrial systems, test racks, edge computing, and embedded platforms. CPUs are reaching several hundred watts per socket, while data-center GPUs are entering the 700–1,000 W range, and AI accelerator performance continues to grow rapidly. This creates significant market opportunities, but also raises new thermal-management challenges.
As power density increases, conventional air cooling is reaching its physical limits. Companies face higher noise levels, thermal drift, performance throttling, and unstable board-level temperatures. There is a raising need for more effective cooling solutions that can also fit existing architectures, remain cost-sensitive, and are easy to implement.
The presentation on 29. Oktober 2026, 09:00 to 09:30 will explain the key technical constraints—conduction cooling, fan cooling, and available water infrastructure—and map the solution landscape from board and hot-spot level to chassis, cabinet, and room level.
To make the topic tangible, we will present real use cases across three levels of thermal challenge: chip level, board level, and cabinet level. These examples will show practical solution approaches for new designs, existing infrastructure upgrades, and retrofit scenarios.
Speaker: Alessandro Cataldi is the Global Sr. Director of Product & Pricing at nVent SCHROFF with extensive international experience in business transformation, product innovation, and global industrial leadership. He has built and scaled businesses across Aerospace & Defense, Test & Measurement, and Advanced Thermal Management.
Christian Ganninger, Global Product Manager at nVent SCHROFF, specializing in embedded systems, thermal management, power supply and distribution. With a strong electrical engineering background he drives advanced 19" platform solutions for demanding industrial, test & measurement, communications and rugged applications.
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