The race to build AI infrastructure

The rapid evolution of AI is reshaping industries and data centers are at the epicenter of that change. AI has transformed how we design, build, and operate these facilities. It is driving demand for new infrastructure centers built to handle high-density workloads, designed with scalability at their core.

This urgency is further compounded by complex supply chain issues, including shortages of critical components, extended lead times, and rising material and transportation costs. At the same time, labor and knowledge gaps, plus mounting demand for power to support energy-hungry applications, present layers of challenges.

In this high-pressure landscape, Exyte supports operators with strategies built for speed, scale, and reliability. As a global leader in end-to-end infrastructure solutions, Exyte draws on deep technical experience, strong vendor relationships, and modular construction expertise.

Axel Favillier, director project & construction management data centers at Exyte, explains how a manufacturing mindset and early engagement are key to staying ahead of supply chain volatility and rising technical demands. Even amid uncertainty, Exyte’s strategy enables clients to move quickly, reduce risk, and compete at scale.

Getting ahead of the supply chain

Volatility in the global supply chain has become a familiar challenge, as geopolitical factors and material shortages regularly disrupt access to essential components and systems. For data centers, these disruptions are threatening project timelines and budgets.

To stay ahead, Exyte prioritizes early and proactive involvement in the procurement process. By engaging at the design stage and promptly securing orders for essential equipment, Exyte can minimize the risk of delays and enhance the resilience of project schedules.

According to Favillier, “This approach keeps projects moving and ensures teams are ready to pivot when challenges arise.” At the same time, the company incorporates mitigation strategies into its project plans, allowing teams to swiftly adapt if supply issues arise.

Early engagement supports a modular construction approach, where components are designed, fabricated, and tested off site before being delivered and installed on site. By participating early in the engineering and procurement process, teams can align design decisions with manufacturing capabilities resulting in faster assembly, improved quality control, and greater efficiency on site.

A manufacturing mindset

With a growing network of offsite prefabrication facilities, Exyte manufactures its own core modules including electrical, mechanical, and integrated systems under controlled conditions. This not only improves quality and consistency but also reduces onsite labor requirements and construction risks.

Exyte continues to invest in its in-house engineering and manufacturing capabilities to deliver high-performance, future-ready infrastructure solutions as standard. “The expectation in the near future is for an aggressive increase in the proportion of our buildings to be built off-location on satellite sites, modules built in factories and brought to location,” says Favillier.

“When we modularize, we operate with a manufacturing mindset. We are tracking timelines closely, anticipating issues thanks to lean production management, and addressing these issues before they happen to help keep timelines on track.”

Controlling the end-to-end process from procurement through installation and de-risking delivery is a pivotal advantage. This approach to supply chain management helps ensure Exyte can deliver AI-ready infrastructure at pace, transforming uncertainty into a confident commitment that clients can rely on.

Providing built-in flexibility

As AI adoption accelerates, so is the pace of change within every aspect of the data center. Today’s workloads are more power and cooling intensive than ever before, and facilities must be designed to evolve alongside demand. As such, flexibility is a mission-critical priority.

From layout to mechanical systems, built-in flexibility allows operators to adapt to changing demands without major disruptions to the infrastructure. Modular construction supports this agility by allowing large elements of the data center to be pre-assembled and delivered as complete units, ready to go as soon as they arrive on site.

One of the most pressing examples of the need for flexibility is cooling. As data centers transition from traditional air cooled systems to liquid or hybrid methods, many legacy facilities are proving difficult to retrofit. New designs must not only support today’s workloads but anticipate tomorrow’s requirements.

Exyte is addressing this by making modularity the foundation of its designs: “We are consistently looking at smart ways to modularize data centers, not just for specific components, but for the entire structure,” says Favillier.

“That way, when clients need to increase their power or cooling capacity, they can scale by simply adding another module set. This is all designed to be stacked, expanded, and upgraded like Lego blocks.”

Balancing standardization with customization is also key. By standardizing core modules and processes, Exyte creates efficiencies across quality control, assembly, safety, and installation. This reduces rework, enhances consistency, and accelerates project timelines, while allowing operators to tailor layouts and performance features to meet specific business needs.

Quality control is another core benefit of this approach. By manufacturing modules in controlled environments, inspections and quality tests can be conducted before components ever arrive on site.

Once delivered, these plug-and-play systems are connected, tested, and commissioned with minimal disruption. The result is a faster, more predictable construction timeline and a data center built to perform from day one and fit to scale up in the future.

The value of a global footprint

In a supply-constrained and highly specialized industry, global reach offers a significant strategic advantage. With operations across strategic markets, Exyte can tap into a broader network to source materials and components, manage regional cost fluctuations, and deploy expert teams on the ground wherever they are needed.

A global footprint also enables a consistent approach to project delivery, regardless of location. Exyte prioritizes standardization across engineering, construction, and project management so that each and every project reflects the company’s commitment to quality, safety, and innovation.

This consistency in approach provides a level of predictability where customers know what to expect, whether building in Asia, Europe, or North America. For companies expanding into new geographies, having a trusted partner that can replicate a successful model across borders is invaluable.

The ability to deploy local expertise on a global scale throughout each stage of a project, means the company can track progress in real-time, identify bottlenecks early, and keep projects moving forward.

From design through to delivery, this boots-on-the-ground model helps enforce global best practices for health and safety, ensuring that even in local markets, projects meet international standards, and every undertaking is delivered with safety as a top priority.

Leveraging vendor relationships

Soaring demands bring expanding supply chains. The industry is experiencing a rush of new entrants – namely vendors and service providers looking to capitalize on growth. While this has sparked innovation, it’s also made reliability and consistency harder to guarantee.

To maintain control and reduce risk, Exyte emphasizes two strategic approaches: building internal capabilities and developing strong trade partnerships. On the self-sufficiency side, the company is increasingly taking responsibility for scopes traditionally handled by subcontractors, such as having its own in-house module manufacturing capabilities allowing it to better manage project timelines, costs, and safety standards.

Equally, Exyte recognizes the value of strategic partnerships working to shift from transactional relationships to long-term collaborations and evolving from subcontractor roles to trade partner mindsets.

“We are looking to bring our partners along with us,” explains Favillier. “It’s about developing mutual trust and raising standards together, over time, especially as we grow into new regions.”

This includes blending global suppliers with local contractors. International vendors bring scale and consistency, while local partners contribute essential knowledge of building codes, labor regulations, and health and safety practices specific to the region. Together, these partnerships enable Exyte to maintain consistently high standards while adapting to local nuances.

It’s clear that, in today’s uncertain landscape, where geopolitical tensions and economic volatility can cause ripple effects across global supply chains, having a clear strategy and the right partners is essential.

AI has ushered in a new generation of complex challenges, as well as exciting opportunities. Facilities must be built faster, perform better, and possess the capacity to evolve continuously. In this environment, combining speed with foresight and flexibility is foundational to long-term success.

Exyte is helping operators meet demand and overcome primary obstacles with an approach rooted in innovation, forward-thinking, and strategic collaboration. Through modular design, global reach, early procurement, and strong partnerships, Exyte is well-equipped to deliver the AI-ready infrastructure of tomorrow, today.