#Italy #Trento #AI Data Centers #ALPS #Brian Turnbow

ALPS Appoints Brian Turnbow as Head of AI Data Centers

ALPS, a growing company founded in Trentino in 2018, has made headlines with its recent appointment of Brian Turnbow as the new Technical Director for Artificial Intelligence (AI). Spanning across four continents, ALPS is set to revolutionize the way data centers are developed and operated, particularly in the sectors of AI and high-performance computing (HPC).

Brian Turnbow brings over 25 years of experience in telecommunications and digital infrastructure to his new role, having previously held technical positions in notable companies such as TWT, Unidata, and CDLAN. In addition to his extensive background, he is also a board member of ITNOG, showcasing his commitment to advancing technology in the sector.

Innovative Approach to Energy and Computing

ALPS is adopting an innovative approach, termed “energy to computing power,” with the aim of utilizing renewable energy sources and re-purposing existing facilities to create a more sustainable data infrastructure. This strategy directly addresses one of the most critical challenges in developing AI infrastructure: access to energy. According to data from Terna, requests for grid connections from data centers in Italy surged beyond 100 GW by August 31, 2026, marking a significant increase from approximately 30 GW in late 2024. This spike necessitates strategic site selection and shortened lead times for grid connections.

In minimizing reliance on overburdened areas of the electricity grid, ALPS plans to choose data center locations where energy is already available, even in regions beyond major transportation hubs. The company aims to integrate renewable energy and redevelop abandoned industrial sites, effectively reusing existing networks, buildings, and additional facilities whenever feasible. In doing so, ALPS seeks to establish a sustainable data center infrastructure that leverages local resources and limits land usage while reducing the need for new construction, all synchronized with its ongoing mining activities aligned with its business strategy.

Transformative Goals for the Italian Market

As Turnbow leads ALPS’s technical strategy in AI and HPC, he will focus on evaluating potential architectures and sites, as well as collaborating with technology and industry partners. Italy is set to become a priority market, with ALPS bringing its international expertise back home and collaborating with local engineering and industry firms, harnessing their knowledge gained through overseas projects.

Francesco Buffa, CEO and co-founder of ALPS, emphasized the potential of Italy and Europe in terms of energy resources, industrial facilities, and technical knowledge, stating, "With our approach of converting energy into computing power, we aim to leverage the energy and industrial potential of the regions we operate in as a competitive advantage and bridge the AI gap in Europe."

Turnbow is committed to building a robust AI infrastructure, emphasizing that the groundwork begins long before the deployment of GPUs. He states, “Every project must start by considering the workloads to be managed and the specific requirements of customers, not just the available power.” His overarching goal is to translate these requirements into coherent design decisions, leading to flexible, scalable, and sustainable computing capacities that utilize renewable energy and existing facilities.

About ALPS

ALPS focuses on planning, constructing, and operating data centers that cater to energy and computing-intensive applications. By combining energy expertise with data center engineering and operations, the firm strives for international growth, bolstered by a €40 million deal with Azimut in 2023 and a further €105 million club deal in 2024. ALPS remains dedicated to advancing technological solutions that reflect sustainability and efficiency, reinforcing its role as a leader in the future of AI-enabled data infrastructure.

For more information about ALPS, please visit www.alps.it.