Global Data Center Cooling Market Analysis and Forecast,

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 Cooling

Liquid cooling solution: Rear Door Heat Exchangers (RDHx) and Direct Cooling

Direct liquid cooling technology: Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling System and Immersion Cooling System

Region: 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