Inside RISE: Sweden's OCP Innovation Hub & The Future of European Data Infrastructure

In this episode, host Rob Coyle welcomes Cagatay Yilmas, RISE Project Manager & OCP EMEA Lead for the Nordics, to explore Europe’s distinctive approach to data center innovation. 

Cagatay unpacks how RISE is building vendor-agnostic, sustainable digital infrastructure, why open innovation is key to Europe's growth, and how the EU's regulatory frameworks are shaping the future of energy-efficient computing.

From heat reuse strategies and digital twins to cutting-edge developments like the EU’s first homegrown servers, the conversation offers a unique lens on how European data centers differ—and why that matters globally. They also discuss RISE’s role as an OCP Experience Center, collaboration opportunities for tech innovators, and what’s in store at the upcoming OCP EMEA Summit in Dublin.

Chapters:

00:00 What is RISE? Cagatay explains the mission behind Sweden's largest research institute.04:17 How OCP and RISE Collaborated: The origin story of open hardware adoption in Europe.07:50 Proprietary vs Open: Why OCP standards are reshaping thermal management, efficiency, and material transparency.13:28 Inside ICE Data Center: How RISE’s OCP Experience Center is validating next-gen technologies at scale.19:40 The HeatWise Project: Tackling edge computing, grid integration, and climate-neutral buildings.24:25 EU Regulations & KPIs: How Europe is setting new benchmarks for data center efficiency and sustainability.30:10 The First European Server Prototype: How RISE is helping shape Europe’s sovereign digital future.

Web page for RISE ICE Data Center:

https://www.ri.se/en/ice-datacenter

Contact Information:

• Çağatay Yılmaz – Project Manager @ ICE Data Center & OCP EMEA Nordics Lead: cagatay.yilmaz@ri.se

• Jon Summers – Scientific Lead of ICE Data Center & Chair of OCP FTS: jon.summers@ri.se

• Isabelle Kremlin – Business and Innovation Manager of ICE Data Center: isabelle.kemlin@ri.se

• Tor Björn Minde – Unit Manager of ICE Data Center: tor.bjorn.minde@ri.se

Project Discussed:

• HIGHER (European Heterogeneous Cloud/Edge Infrastructures for Next Generation Hybrid Services): https://www.higher-project.eu

• HEATWISE (Holistic Energy Management and Thermal Waste Integrated System for Energy Optimisation): https://heatwise.eu

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