LAS VEGAS, March 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Switch®, the premier provider of AI, cloud and enterprise data centers, today announced a sponsored research agreement with Stanford University’s Center for Integrated Facility Engineering (CIFE) to advance research in large-scale capital deployment of digital infrastructure, industrialized construction and innovative energy systems.
CIFE, led by Martin Fischer, the Kumagai Professor in Stanford’s School of Engineering, pioneers research in integrated facility engineering, computational modeling and technology-driven project delivery.
The sponsorship will enable academic research on industry-driven topics and provide cutting-edge hands-on exposure to Switch’s innovation initiatives, including:
- Improved construction turnover with data center buildouts accelerating and producing increasing amounts of high-fidelity data, the research will explore how CIFE’s VDC research and Switch’s proven process discipline can shorten delivery cycles and improve the efficiency of capital deployment.
- Industrialized construction to achieve cost, quality and timeline improvements for Switch’s AI Factories™ capital programs. Switch will leverage CIFE’s experience with providing an academic perspective on prefabrication, modularization of building components and design for manufacture (DFM) techniques.
- Innovative energy systems for enhanced sustainability will be explored through research testing the applicability of CIFE’s sustainability-focused facility life-cycle performance framework to define novel sustainability metrics to guide the scaling of AI infrastructure sustainably and predictably, to assess new commercial and technical models that improve grid-to-token efficiency and enhance grid interoperability.
“Industry-academic collaboration creates unique opportunities to push the boundaries of what is possible in digital infrastructure,” said Skyler Holloway, Vice President of Strategy and Portfolio at Switch.”By sponsoring research with CIFE, we’re combining Switch’s high-efficiency, sustainable data center design with CIFE’s capacity to accelerate innovation at a moment when the world needs it most.”
“Ensuring the sustainability of AI infrastructure is a planet-level challenge that demands both scientific rigor and bold industry leadership,” said Dr. Martin Fischer, the Kumagai Professor and director of CIFE. “This collaboration aims to deliver scalable, data-driven insights that can meaningfully influence how global infrastructure is designed, built and operated in the years ahead.”
Through this sponsored research, Switch aims to actively advance state-of-the-art practices for AI Factory delivery at scale by driving measurable impact, accelerating technology adoption and token-to-grid integration for a more intelligent and efficient future.
About Switch
Switch, founded in 2000 by CEO Rob Roy, stands at the forefront as the leading data center campus designer, builder and operator. As the AI, cloud and enterprise data center experts, Switch provides the most modular, scalable and sustainable data centers to the most discerning clients. The company offers a comprehensive, future-proof portfolio ranging from highly dense liquid cooled AI to hyperscale cloud and the industry’s highest rated and most-secure enterprise data centers. To learn more, visit www.switch.com and follow Switch on LinkedIn, Facebook and X.
SOURCE Switch