Synopsys has joined a Singapore consortium to improve cooling for data centers in tropical climates, combining engineering simulation, AI-assisted design, reduced-order modeling and physical testbed validation.

SINGAPORE, Oct. 29, 2026 — Synopsys, Inc., the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, today announced that it has joined the Sustainable Tropical Data Center Testbed Phase 2.0 (STDCT 2.0) Consortium, led by the National University of Singapore (NUS) and hosted by its College of Design and Engineering (CDE). The collaboration will combine Synopsys engineering simulation and digital modeling capabilities, NUS CDE research expertise and the STDCT 2.0 physical testbed to support sustainable, AI-ready data center innovation in tropical environments.

Data centers in tropical climates face significant operational challenges due to high ambient temperatures and relative humidity, which can often exceed 24-32°C and 70-80% humidity. These conditions reduce the efficiency of conventional cooling systems and increase their energy requirements. As a result, cooling can account for up to 40% of a tropical data center's total energy consumption, a substantially larger share than is typically required in cooler climates.

The growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing is increasing rack density, power demand and thermal loads across data center infrastructure. STDCT 2.0 provides a co-innovation environment where academia and industry can develop, test and demonstrate sustainable data center technologies under tropical operating conditions. Through this collaboration, Synopsys and NUS CDE plan to connect physics-based simulation, AI-assisted engineering and reduced-order modeling with experimental measurements from the testbed.

Brandon Wang, Strategic Management, Vice President, Technology Strategy & New Horizons, Synopsys, said, "At Synopsys, we look beyond today's opportunities to the new horizons that can strengthen our technology long term. Through our Technology Intelligence Center, our team connects emerging technology shifts with Synopsys capabilities and leading research ecosystems to turn promising ideas into strategic opportunities. Our collaboration with STDCT 2.0 reflects that commitment by bringing our silicon-to-systems engineering capabilities into a real-world environment for sustainable AI infrastructure."

**Connecting Simulation, Reduced-Order Models and Testbed Validation**

Synopsys and NUS CDE plan to collaborate across advanced liquid cooling, computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multiphysics simulation, AI-assisted thermofluid design, reduced-order modeling (ROM) and digital twins. Initial research concepts include physics-based and AI-assisted design methods for two-phase direct-to-chip cooling of high-heat-flux AI accelerators, along with uncertainty-aware reduced-order digital twins for predictive thermal management of liquid-cooled AI systems.

The planned workflow will use high-fidelity simulation to explore thermal-fluid behavior and design options, followed by experimental validation within the STDCT 2.0 environment. Validated simulation results can then support the development of computationally efficient ROMs for digital twin integration, optimization and operational decision support. The collaboration also plans to create reusable workflows, case studies, validation methods and a flagship demonstration connecting design, simulation, ROM generation, digital twin integration and physical testing.

Padmesh Mandloi, Applications Engineering, Vice President, Synopsys Simulation and Analysis APAC, Synopsys, said, "Efficient AI infrastructure requires a clear understanding of interconnected multiscale and multiphysics behavior, from chips to data centers. By combining Ansys multiscale and multiphysics simulation, AI-assisted engineering and surrogate modeling with STDCT 2.0 test data, we can help researchers connect and exchange data across scales, validate designs, and develop scalable cooling and digital twin solutions."

**Building Industry Capability for Sustainable Tropical Data Centers**

STDCT 2.0 brings together research institutions, data center operators and technology providers to advance energy efficiency, water efficiency, green energy, AI and future data centers, and green computing. Synopsys will contribute software access, technical expertise, training, project mentoring and learning resources within the agreed collaboration scope. The planned work will support research, technology validation, knowledge exchange and practitioner capability building.

Professor Lee Poh Seng, Programme Director, Sustainable Tropical Data Center Testbed, and Head, Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Design and Engineering at NUS, said, "STDCT 2.0 provides a co-innovation platform to move promising technologies from simulation to validation and towards real-world deployment in tropical data centers. By combining Synopsys' multiphysics simulation, AI-assisted engineering and digital modeling capabilities with our physical testbed, we aim to develop validated, scalable cooling and digital twin solutions for increasingly dense, AI-ready infrastructure in Singapore and across the region."

**About the Sustainable Tropical Data Center Testbed**

The Sustainable Tropical Data Center 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 focuses on developing energy-efficient data center 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/.

**About Synopsys**

Synopsys, Inc. (Nasdaq: SNPS) is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. The company delivers industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. Synopsys partners closely with customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow. Learn more at www.synopsys.com.