Watch Erich Sanchack at PTC for his perspective on the challenges shaping AI environments today and what’s next for Salute, from targeted investment to growth through 2027.
The growth of AI is no longer constrained by capital, interest, or demand. It is constrained by power availability and by whether engineering and procurement models are fit for purpose in high-density, high-risk AI environments. But power and precision mean nothing if critical components do not arrive on time. Supply chain visibility and early procurement collaboration are now just as mission-critical as the engineering itself.
The market is moving faster than at any point in the last decade. Designs that were leading-edge just 18 months ago are already under pressure. Standardization as we understood it five to seven years ago no longer exists.
At the same time, the financial stakes have changed. When you are putting millions of dollars of GPUs into a single rack, anything that impedes performance – power delivery, cooling efficiency, or operational friction – has a direct and potentially damaging impact on total cost of ownership.
That is why early collaboration across the entire value chain – from design and procurement to construction and commissioning – has become essential. The organizations succeeding in this environment aren’t just bringing specialist expertise in early; they’re actively mapping supply chain dependencies, identifying potential choke points months ahead, and building procurement strategies that anticipate constraints in power infrastructure, cooling components, and specialized hardware before they impact timelines or safety.
“A few years ago, Salute made a deliberate ‘fist’ investment to better understand what it truly takes to operate in AI environments, particularly as power densities increase and chip architectures evolve.” Erich Sanchack, CEO
“That included working closely with leading chip manufacturers, including NVIDIA, to understand the procedures and protocols required to support these new infrastructure environments. That early focus has shaped how we approach engineering, procurement, and operations today, ensuring customers are supported by on-the-ground expertly trained teams to operate direct-to-chip liquid cooling environments, and that critical decisions are made with performance, risk, and long-term value in mind.”
Speed to market is the pressure everyone feels. Precision is the requirement most underestimated. This is a hot market. It is also a market where overpaying, overbuilding, or rushing decisions carries long-term consequences that cannot be engineered away after the fact.
Over the coming weeks, we will share a series of perspectives on what is really changing in AI infrastructure: how to predict and navigate supply chain choke points before they cascade, how early procurement collaboration protects both schedule and safety, plus insights on power availability, engineering precision, and workforce preparedness in high-density environments.
Where are you seeing the greatest risk today: power availability, engineering precision, procurement readiness, or supply chain predictability?
If procurement, specialist FM&O teams, engineering design, sustainability, or operating direct-to-chip liquid cooling environments are part of that challenge, Salute is actively working in these environments globally.