Why Daikin is Investing US$30m in Data Centre Cooling Talent

Behind every advanced cooling system sits a HR challenge: finding enough skilled people to design and optimise these complex environments.

That workforce question is now prompting fresh investment from Daikin Applied.

The HVAC specialist has broken ground on a new US$30m Solutions & Technical Institute in Plymouth, Minnesota, creating a dedicated training centre designed to support the next generation of technical, engineering, service and sales professionals.

Daikin Applied is focusing particularly on those working across industries that depend on sophisticated cooling systems, including data centres.

The 64,000-square-foot learning facility forms part of a broader effort by Daikin Applied to strengthen expertise at a time when cooling infrastructure is becoming more complex and more critical to business operations.

According to the company, industry reports point to a shortage of thousands of HVAC technicians by 2030.

That gap has implications across commercial buildings, healthcare facilities, manufacturing sites and data centres, where cooling performance directly affects uptime, reliability and operational efficiency.

Yu Nishiwaki, Chief Operating Officer for Daikin Applied, says: "The demands placed on our industry are evolving rapidly and workforce capability has become a true differentiator.

"The Daikin Applied Solutions & Technical Institute reflects our commitment to developing the next generation of technical, engineering, service and sales talent while helping our customers succeed in an increasingly complex environment.

"We are investing in the people, knowledge and capabilities that will power the future of our industry."

Training for complex cooling environments

Expected to open in 2027, the institute is designed as a core training hub for employees, partners and customers.

The facility moves beyond classroom-based learning with a focus on practical experience.

More than 50 fully operational Daikin HVAC units will be installed on site, giving participants the opportunity to troubleshoot systems and gain experience in real-world operating environments.

Daikin says the institute will support up to 120 training pathways covering advanced controls, diagnostics, system optimisation and sustainable technologies.

The training centre will also feature a digital studio aimed at extending access to teams, customers and partners globally.

That capability will allow technical knowledge and training programmes to be delivered beyond the physical facility, helping organisations address skills development across distributed operations.

Alongside the technical equipment, the building will include nine classrooms and six breakout spaces dedicated to engineering, technical, sales and leadership development.

The site is designed with expansion in mind and can grow by a further 40,000 square feet if required.

Supporting the future of data centre cooling

The investment arrives as cooling evolves into one of the most important areas of data centre infrastructure.

This creates demand not only for new products but also for people capable of deploying, servicing and optimising advanced systems.

James Moe, Executive Vice President of Sales, Service and Solutions at Daikin Applied, says: "Our customers expect systems expertise and strong execution.

"This investment will help ensure we continue to deliver on both."

The institute is intended to help field technicians and engineers build those skills, in addition to customer-facing teams.

A wider Plymouth investment strategy

The new training facility also sits alongside another major development underway in Plymouth.

Daikin Applied is investing US$163m in a research and development test laboratory that is also scheduled to open in 2027.

The company says the facility will provide a testing environment for advanced cooling technologies, including systems developed for hyperscale data centres.

Together, the two projects create a combined focus on both technology development and workforce readiness.

While the research laboratory concentrates on testing next-generation cooling solutions, the Solutions & Technical Institute is designed to ensure there is a pipeline of skilled professionals able to support those technologies in operational environments.

As more advanced cooling systems are built and data centre capacity expands, Daikin Applied's latest investment reflects how the availability of skilled engineers and technicians is just as important as the equipment itself.