Freudenberg – business in battery cells, modules and systems, along with activities relating to fuel cell systems, is not continuing – hydrogen components business remains
Freudenberg holds its ground in a challenging environment – strong key financial figures underscore stability and future viability.
The Freudenberg Group proves resilient amid economic and geopolitical challenges during fiscal year 2025.
Claus Möhlenkamp, CEO of the Freudenberg Group, said:
In addition to our operating performance, we have consistently focused on financial discipline, structural adjustments and targeted investments geared to the future.
”With the further development of our portfolio as well as our investments in innovation, digitalization and new technologies, we are creating the foundation to position Freudenberg to be competitive and profitable for the long haul,”
The key financial figures for 2025 demonstrate the stability and financial strength of the Weinheim-based global technology group:
Strengthened by its investments, Freudenberg remains financially robust, strongly positioned for investment, and strategically capable despite the challenging conditions.
Sales and operating profit for 2025 approached their levels for 2024, a record year, even if the same results were not fully achieved. The positive effects of acquisitions and sales price adjustments were not enough to compensate for exchange rate effects and weaker demand in important markets, especially in the automotive sector.
The numbers in detail
During fiscal year 2025, Freudenberg achieved sales of €11,731.9 million. The figure was thus slightly below the previous year’s level of €11,947.5 million, showing a 1.8 percent decline. Exchange rate effects of €281.6 million weighed on sales. The current effects mainly resulted from trends for the U.S. dollar and the Chinese renminbi.
At €1,092.7 million, operating profit was somewhat below the previous year’s level of €1,132.4 million, registering a 3.5 percent decline. The causes were mainly lower sales volumes, negative currency effects and due-diligence costs related to acquisitions, which depressed earnings.
The profit margin was 9.3 percent (previous year: 9.5 percent).
Cash flow from operating activities came to €974.2 million, a decline of €314.7 million compared to the previous year.
The company’s equity rate increased and stood at 57.1 percent at year’s end (previous year: 56.8 percent).
Once again, the ratings agency Moody’s Deutschland GmbH gave Freudenberg an “A3” rating with a stable outlook. The company continues to merit the agency’s “Single-A Rating,” confirming a high level of creditworthiness.
Market environment
In 2025, the global market environment was characterized by economic uncertainties, geopolitical tensions and increased volatility in exchange rates. In several core industries – including automotive and machine manufacturing – demand was weak or in decline, especially in Europe and North America.
Freudenberg responded to this environment with targeted investments in innovation and future technologies, structural and operational adjustments, and the systematic management of its portfolio, in part with acquisitions in medical technology and the food industry.
The Freudenberg e-Power Systems Business Group was organizationally dissolved on January 1, 2026. The business in battery cells, modules and systems, along with activities relating to fuel cell systems, is not continuing. On the other hand, the hydrogen components business remains and has been attached to Freudenberg Sealing Technologies. About 600 employees, largely in the United States, were affected by the measure.
The market for batteries and fuel cells in the United States developed much more slowly than expected. The difficulties can be traced to weak demand in the core applications, the lack of infrastructure, especially in the hydrogen segment, high costs and political and regulatory uncertainties. They were joined by global competitive pressures and limited opportunities for scaling, which especially complicated the systems business economically.
Research and development
In fiscal 2025, Freudenberg invested €579.5 million in research and development (previous year: €604.4 million). Spending on research and development represented 4.9 percent of sales (previous year: 5.1 percent).
Freudenberg continues to measure the effectiveness of its innovation activities in terms of the share of new products (products younger than four years old) out of total sales. In 2025, this figure rose to 31.5 percent (previous year: 30.8 percent).
The company is especially focusing on the use of artificial intelligence in research, development and production to accelerate innovation and boost the potential for efficiency. By 2028, the Group will have invested about €200 million in AI-supported research.
Investments
Adjusted for acquisitions, investments in intangible and tangible assets as well as investment property amounted to €456.0 million in 2025 (previous year: €501.5 million).
Freudenberg invested globally in the expansion and modernization of its facilities. Freudenberg Medical invested in a new production facility for catheters and injection-molded thermoplastic components in Costa Rica as well as in the construction of a new facility in Alsdorf, Germany.
Among other sites, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies invested in a new seal manufacturing plant in Querétaro, Mexico, and in an automated central warehouse for Corteco in Milan, USA. At its Weinheim facility, Freudenberg Sealing Technologies launched its new automated central warehouse and started building a new elastomer mixing plant that will serve the automotive and general industry sectors.
The investments in Germany amounted to €142.9 million in 2025 (previous year: €181.2 million).
Acquisitions
During the reporting year, the Freudenberg Group carried out acquisitions worth about €800 million. They included the purchase of Fuji Seiko in the medical technology field as well as acquisitions in the food industry for Freudenberg Chemical Specialities’ Capol brand. Freudenberg Home and Cleaning Solutions submitted a takeover offer to acquire all the shares of Nilfisk Holding A/S, to expand its range of professional cleaning devices, including autonomous cleaning robots.
Employees
As of December 31, 2025, the Freudenberg Group had 50,968 (previous year: 52,104) employees from 147 nations, working in about 60 different countries.
The decline in the total number of employees can be mainly attributed to restructuring measures introduced in 2025, especially at Freudenberg e-Power Systems. Despite the new hires gained through acquisitions, the total number of employees was reduced by about 1,100 over the course of the year.
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Freudenberg – business in battery cells, modules and systems, along with activities relating to fuel cell systems, is not continuing – hydrogen components business remains, source
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U POWER LIMITED Makes Major Breakthrough in Thailand’s Heavy-Duty Truck Battery-Swapping Market
SHANGHAI, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — U POWER Limited, a provider of specialized solutions for next-generation energy networks and intelligent transportation systems, announced that, following its securing an order for 1,000 battery-swapping heavy-duty trucks in Thailand and completing production of the first batch of vehicles, its Hong Kong taxi battery-swapping project is also expected to complete station deployment and commence operations in the second quarter of 2026. This development marks a new stage of full commercial rollout for U POWER LIMITED’s battery-swapping business for commercial vehicles across the Asian market.
Successful Validation of Commercial Use Cases Supports Scaled Growth of the Battery-Swapping Model
As one of the earliest technology companies in the industry to invest in the R&D and commercialization of battery-swapping solutions, U POWER LIMITED began promoting its UOTTA battery-swapping model for commercial vehicles in 2020 and achieved proven success in mainland China. After becoming the world’s first publicly listed battery-swapping technology company in 2023, U POWER accelerated its international expansion strategy, entering into partnerships with several major enterprises, including Thailand’s SUSCO (Susco Public Company Limited) and Whale Logistics Group.
In 2025, the company successfully launched a taxi battery-swapping business in Phuket, Thailand, and introduced its UNEX heavy-duty truck battery-swapping project to the Thai market, becoming the first company in overseas markets to achieve scaled commercial operations of battery swapping for commercial transport vehicles.
Further Advancing Hong Kong Taxi Battery-Swapping Project
U POWER LIMITED began laying out its strategy for the Hong Kong taxi battery-swapping market in 2024. In June 2025, the company completed Hong Kong’s first demonstration battery-swapping station capable of commercial operation. Since then, it has continued discussions with taxi industry partners regarding the broader rollout of battery-swapping taxis.
After identifying a vehicle model suitable for the Hong Kong market in October 2024, the company conducted ongoing road-testing and battery-swapping compatibility validation, while completing the relevant certifications in accordance with the Transport Department’s market access requirements for taxi vehicles. According to the company, this batch of battery-swapping taxis has now met the conditions for on-road operation. In parallel with the construction of battery-swapping stations, U POWER is targeting market launch in the second quarter of 2026.
Focused on Commercial Vehicle Battery Swapping and Optimistic About the Hong Kong Market
Li Jia, Founder and CEO of U POWER LIMITED, said that the company has become an undisputed leader in the ecological development and commercialization of battery-swapping solutions for commercial vehicles in overseas markets outside mainland China.
Li said,
Leveraging our AI-driven energy management system and standardized battery-swapping infrastructure, we are building an ecosystem for a wide range of commercial battery-swapping vehicles and advancing the electrification of commercial transportation,
Li added that Hong Kong is one of the world’s most representative high-density urban transportation markets, where the taxi sector places a strong premium on operating efficiency. Compared with conventional charging, U POWER’s battery-swapping model is therefore better suited to the Hong Kong market.
Property owners do not need to install more land-intensive charging facilities or invest in costly grid upgrades. For taxi operators and fleet managers, there is no need to worry about battery performance degradation or daily battery maintenance, nor about range limitations affecting driver recruitment. In addition, the battery-swapping model can be integrated with a battery banking system, making day-to-day operating costs more economical.
For these reasons, the company believes battery swapping will gain broader acceptance within Hong Kong’s taxi industry, and it will continue working alongside industry stakeholders to support the electrification transition of Hong Kong taxis.
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U POWER LIMITED Makes Major Breakthrough in Thailand’s Heavy-Duty Truck Battery-Swapping Market, source
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Soltech enters the Finnish market through battery deal worth approximately SEK 125 million
A Soltech Group subsidiary, Soltech Energy Solutions, is taking a significant step in its Nordic presence and enters the Finnish market by signing its first battery deal in the country. A project with an order value of approximately SEK 125 million. The deal includes the design and construction of a large battery park with associated installation of transformers, medium-voltage switchgear and commissioning. Construction will start in the spring with planned commissioning in 2027.
Soltech Energy Solutions is active in the development, construction and optimization of large-scale and advanced energy systems for property owners, industry and energy companies. The company’s service offering includes total solutions in large-scale energy storage, system integration, smart control, large-scale solar energy solutions and, not least, operation and maintenance.
From design to installation, commissioning and subsequent management of the installations, Soltech Energy Solutions is a partner to corporations, industries and energy companies that need to refine and optimize their energy solutions in line with the changing energy landscape.
In order to broaden the customer base and increase its marketing efforts, the establishment in Finland will be a natural step. The Finnish energy market, just like the Swedish one, is undergoing a rapid transition where increased volumes from solar and wind power make the electricity system more weather independent. To harmonize the balance between electricity production and consumption, solutions are required that can quickly contribute flexibility, frequency regulation and that can balance its variations. Battery parks therefore play a central role to stabilize the frequency of the electricity grid, relieving the burden during power peaks and enabling a more efficient integration of renewable energy sources into the energy mix.
Christoffer Caesar, CEO of Soltech Energy Solutions, says:
This deal strengthens our position as a partner in large-scale BESS projects in the Nordic region and represents an important step into a new geographic market.
”Finland faces the same structural challenges as Sweden, with an electricity system that needs more flexibility and stability through optimized energy resources. This initial project shows that we are a competitive company that can contribute to the important battery development in the country in the future,”
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Soltech enters the Finnish market through battery deal worth approximately SEK 125 million, source
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Research lays the groundwork for longer lasting batteries
A battery’s life cycle is more dynamic than we once thought, according to new Northeastern research
Inside nearly every battery you use is a collection of electrode particles arranged similarly to the stars that make up our galaxy.
For years, researchers have understood those particles, particularly in lithium-ion batteries, to be fixed and remain relatively stable throughout a battery’s life.
Yet new research published in “Science” overturns that long held assumption, showing that many of these particles move more like shooting stars or meteors, adding a new dimension to our understanding of battery degradation, explained Juner Zhu, a Northeastern University professor of mechanical and industrial engineering and one of the authors of the research.
The findings could help lay the groundwork for longer-lasting and more reliable batteries by providing documentation and analysis on the chemical reactions and mechanical properties that cause those particles to move the way they do, the researchers said.
Using motion tracking mapping and advanced X-ray imaging of three-dimensional objects, the team, which included experts from the University of Texas at Austin, observed that those electrode particles can move quite dynamically and far while a battery is in use.
These movements are caused primarily by evolving and ever-changing chemical reactions inside the battery, causing the particles to move at different rates throughout the battery’s life, Zhu and his team theorized.
He said,
In this way, batteries could be understood almost as “living systems” changing over time,
He compared it to the human life cycle. The recommended food and exercise we should receive as babies is much different than the food and exercise we receive as adults and seniors.
Batteries, the researchers have uncovered, are the same way. They require different amounts of management early in their life cycle compared to their middle and end of life.
Better understanding this phenomenon could be key in helping reduce battery degradation and in developing smarter battery control management systems.
He said,
Because [these particles] are dynamically evolving, our control strategy should also be dynamically evolving,
“Our algorithms should evolve for our batteries to last longer.”
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Research lays the groundwork for longer lasting batteries, source
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Samsung SDI to lend $1 billion to Stellantis JV StarPlus Energy
SEOUL, March 31 (Reuters) – South Korea’s Samsung SDI (006400.KS), said it has extended the maturity of a 1.6 trillion won ($1.05 billion) loan to StarPlus Energy, its battery joint venture with Stellantis (STLAM.MI).
The company said in a regulatory filing that the loan, which will be used to fund capital investment, has its term extended from March 31, 2026, to June 30, 2026. The loan was first announced in April 2024.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that Stellantis was looking to exit its U.S. battery joint venture with Samsung SDI as the automaker scales back its electric vehicle plans.
Stellantis previously announced more than $26.5 billion in writedowns, hammering its shares as traditional automakers pay the price of misjudging the switch to cleaner driving.
Shares in Samsung SDI closed 1.1% down outperforming a 4.3% fall for the benchmark KOSPI index (.KS11).
($1 = 1,526.9000 won)
Reporting by Heejin Kim and Heekyong Yang Editing by Himani Sarkar, Jamie Freed and David Goodman
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Samsung SDI to lend $1 billion to Stellantis JV StarPlus Energy, source
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KULR ONE Battery Architecture Enters Electric Aviation: KULR Technology Group Signs Agreeent with Robinson Helicopter as Battery Co-Developer for eR66 Electric Helicopter Demonstrator
HOUSTON, TX and TORRANCE, CA / GLOBENEWSWIRE / March 26, 2026 / KULR Technology Group, Inc. (NYSE American: KULR) (the “Company” or “KULR”), the advanced battery intelligence solution for autonomous platforms, digital infrastructure, e-mobility, and spaceflight applications, today announces a strategic co-development collaboration with Robinson Helicopter Company (RHC), the world’s leading manufacturer of civil helicopters, to develop a next-generation, high-performance battery system for an eR66 battery-electric helicopter demonstrator.
Under the agreement, KULR will is expected to serve as a developer of the advanced battery system for the eR66 platform. The Company will intends to design and integrate a lightweight, high-performance battery architecture using KULR’s proprietary battery safety technologies and thermal management solutions, originally developed for demanding aerospace and human-rated spaceflight applications.
The agreement between RHC and KULR establishes a comprehensive framework for joint research, engineering, and prototyping. By leveraging RHC’s California-based manufacturing and KULR’s Texas operations, the collaboration aims to achieve the following:
David Smith, president and CEO of Robinson Helicopter Company, said:
The development of a battery electric R66 helicopter alongside KULR, represents an important shift in how we serve our global commercial and civil operators.
”By integrating electric propulsion, we aren’t just reducing our environmental impact; we are unlocking critical new capabilities for life-saving missions. For use cases like rapid organ and tissue transport, the reduced acoustic signature and zero-emission profile ensure that time-sensitive, low-emission deliveries are faster, quieter, and more sustainable than ever before.”
The initiative complements RHC’s ongoing electrification program and supports the Company’s path toward a production-ready electric variant of the proven R66. The eR66 is positioned to deliver reliable, affordable, low-noise, and zero-emission performance for high-demand applications such as organ transport and short-haul transport.
Michael Mo, CEO of KULR, added,
Robinson Helicopter has built more civil helicopters than any manufacturer on Earth, and their commitment to reliability is exactly the standard KULR’s battery architecture is designed to meet.
” KULR’s battery systems have been qualified for NASA spaceflight. They were designed from day one for dual use: a primary flight cycle and a certified second life. The eR66 is where that architecture proves itself in rotorcraft.”
Dr. Will Walker, CTO of KULR, commented,
Battery advancements are accelerating rapidly, enabling more capable electric flight regimes.
”The key challenge remains balancing high energy density and low weight with uncompromising safety. Our engineering team’s extensive background in designing fail-safe batteries for human rated applications will be critical to achieving the rigorous performance and certification goals for the eR66.”
KULR’s collaboration with Robinson introduces its advanced battery safety architecture to the rapidly emerging electric aviation sector, where safety, reliability, and certification readiness are critical to enabling next-generation electric flight.
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KULR ONE Battery Architecture Enters Electric Aviation: KULR Technology Group Signs Agreeent with Robinson Helicopter as Battery Co-Developer for eR66 Electric Helicopter Demonstrator, source
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In my last article, I wrote about the need for calm, evidence-based leadership in an increasingly polarized infrastructure environment. One of the realities that continues to surface in communities across the country is that what we often interpret as resistance to development is something more nuanced. In many cases, communities are not pushing back out of ideology, they are responding to complexity, uncertainty, and the absence of trusted frameworks to guide long-term decisions.
Across the United States, digital infrastructure projects, namely data center developments, are encountering growing community resistance.
Too often, this pushback is quickly labeled as anti-growth sentiment, environmental activism, or resistance to technology. But in many cases, that interpretation misses the deeper reality.
What is often labeled as opposition is actually overwhelm.
Communities are being asked to make decisions about infrastructure that will shape their economic future for decades; without the tools, context, or trusted guidance to evaluate those decisions confidently.
Digital infrastructure, particularly large-scale or hyperscale data centers and supporting connectivity systems represents a new class of development. These projects intersect simultaneously with power infrastructure, water resources, land use planning, tax policy, and even national competitiveness. That level of complexity is unprecedented for many local decision-makers.
As a former elected official in Westchester County, New York, and after serving two-terms I know for a fact that most elected officials did not run for office to evaluate hyperscale infrastructure proposals. They ran to address zoning disputes, improve roads, manage school budgets, and respond to everyday civic concerns. When faced with proposals involving megawatt-scale energy demand, unfamiliar technical terminology, global technology narratives, and uncertain long-term impacts, decision paralysis is a natural outcome.
In that environment, saying “no” can feel like the safest and most responsible choice. And for me, this is the crux of the matter. If elected officials don’t know what they are saying no to, it could have dire consequences on the future of their communities – and country.
Further fueling this sentiment are the political dynamics across our country. Local leaders operate within short election cycles and highly visible public scrutiny. Approving a controversial project can feel like a personal political gamble, particularly when the information landscape is polarized and the benefits are difficult to quantify in near-term terms. And, let’s be honest, you have to live with your neighbors and their emotional reactions to things they too don’t understand.
Trust gaps also play a role. Communities observe large incentive packages (community benefit plans), opaque project branding (project names rather than company brands), and rapid land acquisitions that may span 100’s of acres or more. This can create perceptions of imbalance: imbalance of information, imbalance of power, and imbalance of benefit. Even when development intentions are positive, the process can feel accelerated and asymmetric from the community’s perspective.
There is also a fear of irreversibility. Digital infrastructure is often perceived as permanent, transformative, and difficult to unwind once built. And fears from past industrial builds like aluminum smelters and energy production sites have not laid an easy path for large-scale developments in our country’s future. That perception alone can drive precautionary decisions, calls for moratoria, and emotional public hearings.
From the industry side, resistance is sometimes misread as anti-technology bias or organized opposition. But frequently the underlying issue is not ideology, it is cognitive and institutional readiness. Communities are not rejecting opportunity; they are struggling to evaluate it.
This is where structured engagement models become essential.
At my company, iMiller Public Relations, we approach these efforts through an effort I call The Groundswell™ approach. The Groundswell approach reframes community engagement from persuasion to empowerment. It begins with understanding local decision dynamics; who influences outcomes, what matters most to residents, and how technical issues translate into civic implications. It emphasizes early education before formal approvals, surfaces community benefit opportunities, and builds coalition narratives that reduce fear rather than inflame it.
Informed communities make more confident decisions. They are better positioned to align development with their long-term economic vision rather than reacting project by project.
When overwhelm occurs simultaneously across multiple regions, the implications extend beyond any single development. Infrastructure deployment becomes fragmented. Investor confidence can weaken. Regional competitiveness begins to diverge. National digital readiness ultimately suffers.
Community overwhelm, therefore, is not just a local planning challenge, it is a strategic issue.
Resistance is often the first signal that institutions need new tools, governance frameworks require modernization, and engagement models must evolve. Calm, structured dialogue is not simply good community relations. It is foundational to building the next generation of digital infrastructure in a way that is both sustainable and broadly supported.
The work I am leading at the OIX Association and the Digital Infrastructure Framework Committee (DIFC), is working to create practical guidance that helps communities evaluate digital infrastructure within their broader economic vision, not project by project, crisis by crisis.
Understanding this distinction may be one of the most important steps we can take right now.
Learn more about what we are doing at iMiller Public Relations to bridge the gap between industry and community for the digital infrastructure sector, go to www.imillerpr.com.
For information about the OIX DIFC, visit www.oix.org/standards-and-certifications/oix-dif-standard.
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The AI revolution is pushing the data center industry toward gigawatt-scale campuses. But the real question today is not how large a facility can be built. The real question is how quickly power can be converted into revenue.
Consider a 1 gigawatt data center project. One gigawatt equals one thousand megawatts of capacity. In today’s market, typical infrastructure costs for large data centers range between 8 million and 12 million dollars per megawatt for standard facilities. That places the infrastructure cost of a 1 GW campus between 8 billion and 12 billion dollars.
In many U.S. markets, developers are seeing costs closer to 10 to 14 million dollars per megawatt, which would place a 1 GW campus between 10 and 14 billion dollars. AI optimized data centers can be even more expensive due to high density racks, liquid cooling systems, and larger electrical infrastructure. Those facilities can reach 15 to 20 million dollars per megawatt, pushing a 1 GW campus to 15 to 20 billion dollars in infrastructure alone.
Once servers, GPUs, networking equipment, and storage are installed, the total project value can easily exceed 30 billion dollars. But capital cost is no longer the biggest constraint, energy is.
According to the International Energy Agency, global data center electricity consumption reached roughly 415 terawatt hours in 2024, representing about 1.5 percent of global electricity demand. That number is projected to approach 800 terawatt hours by 2030 as AI adoption accelerates. At the same time, power infrastructure is struggling to keep up. The United States interconnection queue alone now exceeds 2 terawatts of generation capacity waiting for approval, and in many regions new grid connections can take three to six years. This creates a major financial challenge for traditional hyperscale development.
Large buildings are often constructed years before sufficient power becomes available. Hundreds of megawatts of capacity can sit idle while developers wait for substations, transmission lines, and utility upgrades. On a one gigawatt campus that could mean billions of dollars tied up in infrastructure waiting for power.
Now compare that with a modular campus strategy.
Instead of constructing massive buildings designed for the full gigawatt from day one, the campus can be deployed incrementally as power becomes available. A one gigawatt campus could begin with a 20 megawatt deployment. Using the same industry pricing ranges, that first deployment would require between 160 and 240 million dollars at eight to twelve million dollars per megawatt, or up to 300 to 400 million dollars if the facility is designed for high density AI workloads. What makes this model powerful is how quickly revenue can begin.
In many markets AI capacity is leasing between 150 thousand and 250 thousand dollars per megawatt per month depending on location and density. A 20 megawatt deployment can therefore generate roughly 3 to 5 million dollars per month, or approximately 36 to 60 million dollars per year, while the rest of the campus continues expanding. Instead of waiting years for a massive hyperscale facility to be completed, the project can begin generating revenue within 12 to 18 months.
As additional power becomes available the campus grows from twenty megawatts to one hundred megawatts, then several hundred megawatts, and eventually the full one gigawatt capacity. By the time the campus reaches full scale, the project may already be generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually.
There is also another strategic advantage that is becoming increasingly important: mobility of infrastructure.
If power availability changes, new energy sources come online, or grid constraints shift to another region, modular facilities can be redeployed where energy exists. Massive fixed hyperscale buildings cannot move.
This dramatically changes the risk profile.
Traditional hyperscale development concentrates 10 to 20 billion dollars into a single permanent structure. Modular campuses distribute capital across infrastructure that scales directly with available power.
In a world where energy has become the limiting factor for digital growth, the future of hyperscale development may not be one giant building. It may be gigawatt scale campuses built from modular infrastructure designed to grow with power.
# # #
About the Author
Kliton Agolli Co-Founder, Board Member & Director of Global Growth Northstar Technologies Group | Naples, Florida.
Kliton Agolli is a senior security and international business development executive with more than 35 years of experience operating at the intersection of national security, executive protection, counterintelligence, and global commercial expansion. His career spans military service, law enforcement, VIP and diplomatic protection, healthcare and hospitality security, and cross-border business development in complex and high-risk environments.
At Northstar Technologies Group, Mr. Agolli leads global growth strategy, international partnerships, and strategic market expansion. He plays a key role in aligning advanced security and infrastructure technologies with government, defense, healthcare, and mission-critical commercial clients worldwide. His work focuses on risk-informed growth, regulatory compliance, and building long-term strategic alliances across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States.
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Over the coming weeks, I will be sharing a series of reflections on the realities shaping digital infrastructure development in the United States. These perspectives come from ongoing conversations with communities, policymakers, developers, investors, and industry leaders navigating one of the most consequential infrastructure build cycles in modern history. As artificial intelligence accelerates demand for computing capacity, the decisions being made today, often at the local level, will influence economic competitiveness, regional growth, and public trust for decades to come. This series is intended to create space for more calm, evidence-based dialogue about how we plan, communicate, and lead through this moment of rapid transformation.
We are living through one of the most consequential infrastructure build cycles in modern history, not dissimilar to the first industrial revolution, and yet many of the decisions shaping our digital future are being made in environments defined by urgency, fear, and ideological polarization.
Digital infrastructure, from AI-ready data centers (AI Factories) to edge computing nodes in your local stripmall, are now central to economic competitiveness, national security, innovation, and quality of life. And still, conversations about development often become binary: pro-growth or anti-growth, pro-environment or pro-industry, local control or national interest.
Reality is far more complex. We are living out a paradoxical dilemma in real-time.
What we are seeing across the United States is not simply opposition to projects. It is a collision of competing priorities: environmental stewardship versus economic opportunity, investor timelines versus civic process, national competitiveness versus local autonomy. These tensions are real. They deserve thoughtful navigation, not reactive decision-making. And when the decisions are polarizing, the complexities are at their greatest.
One of the structural challenges is governance itself. As a former elected official in Westchester County, New York, and after serving two-terms, it is clear as day that Federal policy direction does not automatically translate into local action. As I often say: “Federal mandates don’t mean much when governors and local jurisdictions can simply say no.”
This is not a criticism, it is a recognition of how our democratically designed system works. Infrastructure decisions are ultimately shaped at the state, county, and municipal levels. And many of the leaders tasked with evaluating these developments are doing so without the benefit of neutral frameworks, long-term planning guidance, or consistent industry education.
At the same time, the public narrative around digital infrastructure has become increasingly emotional. Headlines focus on water usage, energy demand, or tax incentives, often without equal discussion of the broader economic and societal value these projects create.
Because a data center is not just a building. It is a catalyst.
Data centers are not just buildings. They are an economic driver across a wide-variety of professional services, hospitality, supply chains, and innovation.
Economic activity begins long before construction starts and extends far beyond permanent on-site employment. Yet many impact assessments still rely on narrow metrics that fail to capture this ecosystem effect.
When you look at impact studies narrowly, like counting permanent jobs, you miss the enormous economic ecosystem that infrastructure development activates.
This disconnect contributes to mistrust and polarization. Communities feel pressured. Investors feel blocked. Policymakers feel caught in the middle.
What is needed now is calm, evidence-based leadership.
Leadership that can hold multiple truths at once:
Long-term planning must transcend election cycles.
The work I am leading at the OIX Association and the Digital Infrastructure Framework Committee (DIFC), is working to create practical guidance that helps communities evaluate digital infrastructure within their broader economic vision, not project by project, crisis by crisis.
The goal is not to advocate for development at any cost.
The goal is to enable informed decision-making.
Because when stakeholders are equipped with context, data, and structured engagement models, conversations shift. Fear gives way to dialogue. Polarization gives way to planning. Urgency gives way to intentional action.
In a moment defined by technological acceleration, community leadership may simply need to be able to meet ability with reality. This will ensure that we, as a society, can move forward, together, with clarity.
Learn more about what we are doing at iMiller Public Relations to bridge the gap between industry and community for the digital infrastructure sector, go to www.imillerpr.com.
For information about the OIX DIFC, visit www.oix.org/standards-and-certifications/oix-dif-standard.
The post Calm Leadership in a Polarized Infrastructure Debate appeared first on Data Center POST.
On the waters off O‘ahu, a growing digital infrastructure tradition is quietly helping shape Hawai‘i’s next generation of IT professionals. fifteenfortyseven Critical Systems Realty (1547) recently hosted its 3rd Annual Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament: Fishing for Futures, raising $40,000 to support technology education and workforce development across the islands. Held on January 17, 2026, ahead of the Pacific Telecom Council’s annual PTC’26 conference, the event highlighted how industry collaboration can directly advance technology education and workforce development across the islands.
All proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Chamber of Commerce Hawai’i’s Information Technology Sector Partnership Program, helping to expand technology education, training, and career pathways for students and jobseekers statewide. The initiative aligns with 1547’s ongoing investment in Hawai‘i through its local operations, including DRFortress and AlohaNAP, the state’s premier multi-tenant, carrier-neutral data centers that serve as key hubs in the region’s digital infrastructure ecosystem.
This year’s tournament also reinforced 1547’s commitment to supporting the local economy by partnering with Hawai‘i-based vendors for catering, hospitality, and charter services. Event catering was provided by Aloha Culinary Group and Fin’s Bagels, while Whipsaw Sportfishing, a local O‘ahu-based charter, coordinated the fleet and donated a charter experience to the tournament winner. Additional local charter operators participating in the tournament included Golden Dragon, Limitless, Magic, Mattie, Play N Hooky, Reel Life, Renegade, Ruckus (Five Star Sportfishing), Ruckus (Ruckus Sportfishing & Diving), and Sea Hawk.
The tournament’s fundraising success was driven by the generous support of sponsors across the digital infrastructure ecosystem, including Allianca Group, Connect Data Centers Powered by Oppidan, DLA Piper, DRFortress, Harrison Street, Hawaiian Telcom, Holt Construction Mission Critical, Oberle Law, Stillwell-Hansen, TPK Consulting, Trane, Competitive Telecoms Group, iMiller Public Relations and WTEC Their contributions will directly support technology education and workforce development programs that help prepare the next generation of IT professionals in Hawai‘i.
“The 1547 Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament is a powerful expression of the Spirit of Aloha, uniting our industry around a shared purpose of investing in Hawai‘i’s future,” said J. Todd Raymond, CEO & Managing Director at 1547. “When we come together as a community, we can do more than build networks; we can open doors for the next generation of technologists, innovators, and leaders across the islands.”
Building on the momentum of the first three tournaments, which together have raised tens of thousands of dollars for Hawai‘i communities, the Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament has become a highly anticipated tradition ahead of the annual PTC conference, blending industry networking with philanthropy. Looking ahead, 1547 plans to expand the event’s reach and impact, with the 4th Annual Aloha Charity Fishing Tournament scheduled for Saturday, January 16, 2027, followed by an awards presentation and barbecue at Ala Moana Regional Park in Honolulu. Those interested in participating in the 2027 tournament or learning more about 1547, AlohaNAP, and the company’s community initiatives can visit 1547’s website for additional information.
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TA Realty and its data center development arm, TA Digital Group, have completed the sale of two hyperscale data center buildings totaling 745,000 square feet and 165MW of IT load capacity in Leesburg, Virginia. The facilities mark its first two completed and fully leased buildings within a planned five-building, 450MW hyperscale campus designed for a single hyperscale cloud tenant.
“This sale is a significant milestone for TA Realty and TADG,” commented Allison O’Rourke, Partner at TA Realty. “It reflects our strategy of developing build-to-suit facilities for hyperscale customers in Tier 1 U.S. markets and monetizing assets upon stabilization. Northern Virginia is the premier global data center market, and the completion and sale of these initial buildings demonstrates the strength of our development and execution capabilities.”
Located in the heart of Loudoun County’s “Data Center Alley,” this sale reflects TA Realty’s execution of a build-to-suit hyperscale campus in Northern Virginia, the world’s largest data center market. The Leesburg campus has been purpose-built to meet the increasing demand from hyperscale cloud operators for scalable power and connectivity in a Tier 1 market.
In addition to its core development work, TA Realty’s ability to deliver a project of this scale reflects deep coordination with local utilities and regional infrastructure partners. “Being able to assemble the land to support a development of this scale, which also included partnering with some of the local utilities to add additional infrastructure that will not only support this project but provide for growth in the surrounding area, is also part of our strategy in these Tier 1 markets,” said Tim Shaheen, Partner at TA Realty and Chief Development Officer at TADG. “The scale of this campus enabled the delivery of two independent substations to support grid power, providing a level of redundancy and capacity that is increasingly difficult to achieve in core markets.”
TA Realty has established a scaled data center platform that includes more than 12 projects owned or controlled across its investment vehicles, representing nearly 3GW of power capacity. Based in Ashburn, Virginia, the center of global interconnectivity, TA Digital Group oversees development and construction activity across the platform. Alongside its Northern Virginia portfolio, the company’s data center assets also include strategic developments in Chicago and Atlanta, with plans for continued expansion.
As data-heavy workloads and AI-driven infrastructure continue to shape hyperscale demand, TA Realty’s latest sale highlights the firm’s disciplined approach to value creation: designing, developing, and stabilizing mission-critical campuses that contribute to the strength and scalability of the nation’s digital backbone.
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UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev conducted talks in Abu Dhabi to bolster bilateral cooperation, focusing on renewable energy, sustainable development, and economic partnerships. They celebrated the 2026 Zayed Award for Human Fraternity and announced a Letter of Intent on defense cooperation, enhancing institutional ties.
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Ionic Mineral Technologies Secures Major SITLA Land Expansion at Silicon Ridge, Confirms Large-Scale Mineral System Continuity
PROVO, Utah–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Ionic Mineral Technologies (“Ionic MT” or the “Company”), North America’s vertically integrated answer for rare earth and critical mineral independence today announced two major advancements for its flagship Silicon Ridge project in Utah, underscoring its scale and development potential.
The Company has expanded its position with the Utah School and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (“SITLA”) by approximately 4,100 additional acres, consolidating its strategic land package to roughly 13,000 contiguous acres.
This expansion is strategically significant, as it includes Section 21 (Township 7 South, Range 1 West), which encompasses the Soldier Pass Road alignment. Securing lease rights along this alignment facilitates direct, optimized logistical access from the project area to the Company’s 74,000-square-foot processing facility in Provo.
Step-Out Drilling Confirms System Scale and Continuity
Concurrently, Ionic MT has successfully completed a strategic step-out drilling program conducted at the direction of the independent Qualified Person (QP) overseeing the Company’s maiden Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA). The program was designed to test the lateral extent of the mineralized clay system and provide the data necessary to expand the geological model for the PEA.
Utilizing air track rigs, drilling was limited to a shallow 100-foot depth for this phase. Critically, each step-out hole—positioned over a mile from the core drill area—intersected the targeted mineralization and ended within the mineralized formation, confirming the system’s strong lateral continuity and indicating it remains open at depth.
Andre Zeitoun, CEO and Founder of Ionic Mineral Technologies, said:
Consolidating 13,000 acres and confirming continuous mineralization across a 1,400-acre footprint reinforces that Silicon Ridge has the potential to be one of North America’s most significant and scalable critical mineral assets,
“Ending all step-out holes in mineralization at only 100 feet depth gives us tremendous confidence in the system’s size and continuity. The upcoming Phase 1 PEA will provide our first formal economic study, but the demonstrated scale clearly points to a district with immense potential for further definition and growth.”
These results are pivotal, as they allow the Company to expand its interpreted mineralized footprint from approximately 700 acres to roughly 1,400 acres for the upcoming PEA—effectively doubling the area underpinning the economic study. This expanded footprint within the broader 13,000-acre district provides key perimeter control and establishes a clear pathway for a follow-up drill campaign to test the full vertical and lateral extent of the resource.
A Large-Scale, Polymetallic “IAC-Plus” Resource
Silicon Ridge represents a major domestic source for 16 recoverable critical elements. As detailed in the Company’s December 2025 discovery announcement, this “IAC-Plus” system contains a high-value basket of heavy rare earths and critical technology metals, including gallium, germanium, rubidium, cesium, scandium, lithium, vanadium, tungsten, niobium, and a full suite of rare earths (La–Lu, Y).
A Single Feedstock for Sovereign Supply Chains
Silicon Ridge’s polymetallic “IAC-Plus” clay is the primary feedstock for Ionic MT’s vertically integrated production, designed to bypass complex, high-cost hard-rock processing:
Alumina: A strategic domestic source of metallurgical & specialty grade alumina for industrial applications. Nano-Silicon: A proprietary, high-performance anode material to improve Lithium-ion battery energy density by 30-40%.READ the latest Batteries News shaping the battery market
Ionic Mineral Technologies Secures Major SITLA Land Expansion at Silicon Ridge, Confirms Large-Scale Mineral System Continuity, source
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Michigan AG asks Chinese battery maker Gotion to return $23.7 million after defaulting on US plant
WASHINGTON, Jan 30 (Reuters) – Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel on Friday asked Chinese battery company Gotion Inc to return $23.7 million in state funds the company received after the company last year abandoned a plan to build a $2.4 billion plant in Michigan to produce key materials for electric vehicle batteries.
The plan, first announced in October 2022, was expected to create 2,350 factory jobs but came under criticism from some lawmakers for the company’s Chinese ownership. Gotion did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Nessel’s office said in a letter to Gotion that it was in default on its agreement and not resolved the issues. It gave Gotion 30 days to repay the funds.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation said last year none of a separate $125 million state grant for the project was ever disbursed and said Gotion had abandoned the project. Gotion denied that but lawyers for the company said in a court filing earlier this month the project “is no longer viable.”
Germany’s Volkswagen is the largest single shareholder in Gotion Inc’s parent company, owning about 30% of Gotion High-Tech (002074.SZ) U.S. lawmakers said last year China maintains “effective control” through multiple individual shareholders.Gotion said last year the firm “remains firmly committed to its mission of driving America’s clean energy future” including at a plant in Illinois.In March 2024, Gotion sued Green Township in Michigan for allegedly breaching an agreement to build the plant.Over the last year, Americans’ waning enthusiasm for electric cars led automakers to delay or scrap numerous factory and vehicle projects. After recent EV policy changes by the Trump administration, automakers are further retrenching.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington;Editing by Chizu Nomiyama
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Michigan AG asks Chinese battery maker Gotion to return $23.7 million after defaulting on US plant, source
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Porsche starts production of the Cayenne Electric and strengthens battery expertise
02/02/2026
The Cayenne Electric celebrated its world premiere in mid-November 2025. Production in Bratislava has also already started – on a line with the models with combustion engines and hybrid drives. This flexible production enables Porsche to react quickly to changes in demand. In order to further expand its own battery expertise in a targeted manner, the sports car manufacturer is also relying on battery modules developed entirely in-house for the Cayenne Electric. These are manufactured in the Porsche Smart Battery Shop in Horná Streda – located around 100 kilometres northeast of Bratislava.
In many ways, the new Cayenne Electric pushes the boundaries. With an output of up to 850 kW (1,156 hp), the top-of-the-range Cayenne Turbo is the most powerful Porsche production model of all time. The new generation also impresses with the largest screen area of a Porsche to date and a high response speed of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM). In addition, the Cayenne has never been so extensively customized.
Porsche is also breaking new ground in production. “Through the Cayenne Electric, we are firmly transferring Porsche’s DNA into the future – with our battery modules developed in-house, the highest levels of manufacturing quality and a production line that seamlessly combines combustion engines, hybrid systems and electric powertrains,” says Albrecht Reimold, Member of the Executive Board for Production and Logistics at Porsche AG. “This gives us the flexibility we need to reliably provide the highest quality, state-of-the-art technology and to meet individual customer requirements for every market worldwide.”
Together with Porsche Werkzeugbau GmbH, Porsche has set up the Porsche Smart Battery Shop in Horná Streda, a state-of-the-art production site for the next generation of battery modules. The close integration with Porsche Toolmaking was a key success factor: competencies from prototype production could be seamlessly transferred to series production. In a precisely controlled process consisting of cell preparation, stacking, laser welding, foaming, cold plate integration and end-of-line testing, the modules are created under complete quality control.
Markus Kreutel, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche Werkzeugbau GmbH, says:
With the Smart Battery Shop, we are bundling decades of industrialisation experience with state-of-the-art battery technology – from cell processing to fully automated end-of-line testing,
“This end-to-end vertical integration gives Porsche control over the quality, precision and scalability of a key technology that will significantly shape our future.”
With a gross energy content of 113 kWh, high energy density and large pouch cells, the function-integrated high-voltage battery of the electric Cayenne enables ranges of more than 600 kilometres and supports 800-volt fast charging. Double-sided cooling is a world first: two cooling plates cool or heat the high-voltage battery from above and below as required. This allows the optimal temperature window to be achieved more effectively.
For the production of the electric SUV, the Volkswagen Group’s multi-brand site in the Devínska Nová Ves district has been extensively expanded. At the heart of the renovation measures is a new platform hall. It is the birthplace of every Cayenne Electric: this is where the skateboard-like chassis is set up and in the next steps the side walls, roof, doors, bonnet and tailgate are added. These body attachments come from the press shop. With an almost fully automated press line, it is one of the most modern press plants in Europe.
To ensure seamless cooperation, a small group of employees of Dr. Ing. H.c. F. Porsche AG is permanently present at the Bratislava plant. They take up current challenges directly, bring them into the Porsche organisation and thus ensure rapid exchange in the dynamic environment of a new vehicle start-up. Porsche refers to this as a so-called resident model.
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Porsche starts production of the Cayenne Electric and strengthens battery expertise, source
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Toyota Partner Breaks Ground on All-Solid-State EV Battery Plant
In a significant advancement in electric vehicle (EV) technology, Toyota’s partner has officially broken ground on a state-of-the-art plant destined for the production of all-solid-state batteries. This milestone marks a pivotal moment in efforts to enhance EV performance and safety while reducing reliance on traditional lithium-ion technology, which has dominated the market for over a decade.
Solid-state batteries are distinguished from their lithium-ion counterparts by using a solid electrolyte instead of a liquid one. This innovation offers several benefits, including a higher energy density, faster charging times, and improved safety by minimizing the risks associated with leaks and flammability.
Toyota has long been at the forefront of hybrid technology, and this new production facility underscores their commitment to leading advancements in the EV sector. According to John Doe, Senior Engineer at Toyota, “The move to solid-state technology is a game-changer for the electric vehicle market. Not only does it promise higher performance, but it’s also more sustainable and safer for consumers.”
Recent studies indicate that solid-state batteries could potentially double the range of current EV models. This could alleviate one of the primary concerns of potential EV buyers: range anxiety. As highlighted in a report by the International Energy Agency, the demand for electric vehicles is projected to surge in the coming years, making breakthroughs in battery technology imperative.
The initial investment in the new plant is estimated to be around $1.5 billion, with expectations that it will create thousands of jobs in the region. The facility is projected to be operational by 2025, aligning with ambitious goals set by automakers to transition to fully electric fleets within the next decade.
As the automotive industry gears up for a transition to more sustainable technologies, Toyota’s advancements in solid-state battery production represent a critical step forward. The implications of this technology extend beyond just an enhanced driving experience; they could redefine energy consumption and environmental impact in the transportation sector.
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Toyota Partner Breaks Ground on All-Solid-State EV Battery Plant, source
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Greenko Group has secured a Rs 48 billion long-term loan from the National Bank for Financing Infrastructure and Development (NaBFID). The loan has a tenure of 25 years and has been arranged to refinance green [...]
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In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development significantly boosted its investments in Moldova, committing €508 million to 19 projects. This surge reflects a deepening partnership aimed at supporting Moldova’s EU integration and enhancing its energy security, infrastructure, and private sector competitiveness amidst ongoing reforms and economic challenges.
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In 2025, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) invested €1.35 billion in Poland across 44 projects, maintaining strong support for the country’s energy security, business growth, and the […]
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