Croatian Telecom Deploys AI-Driven Cooling System at Zagreb Data Center in Partnership with Siemens
February 6, 2026
As data centers worldwide grapple with soaring energy costs and sustainability mandates, optimizing cooling systems has become a critical operational and financial priority. In a significant move to address this, Croatian Telecom, also known as Hrvatski Telekom, has completed a major upgrade to the cooling infrastructure at its flagship data center in Zagreb, leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance efficiency and reliability. The Deutsche Telekom-owned telecommunications provider announced the successful implementation of the White Space Cooling Optimization (WSCO) project this week, a collaboration with technology partner Siemens. The project centered on deploying an intelligent network of thermistors across server and network cabinets to continuously monitor temperature changes. This real-time data feeds into a centralized monitoring system where an AI algorithm dynamically regulates fan airflow and proactively identifies potential faults before they escalate. Ivan Visković, director of the core network and services sector at Hrvatski Telekom, highlighted the project's outcomes: "Thanks to the WSCO solution and dynamic AI cooling, we have achieved significantly more efficient cooling of IT and network equipment in our largest data center." He noted the implementation led to superior temperature regulation, the elimination of hot air pockets, reduced operational hours for cooling units, and lower maintenance costs. The company claims the machine learning-enabled system can remove up to 99 percent of hot air pockets that typically form within the facility. The financial implications are substantial. Martin Lang, director of the smart infrastructure buildings business unit at Siemens Austria, stated that the AI solution is expected to generate "savings in the six-figure amount in euros in electricity consumption" while also preventing potential equipment failures caused by overheating. The upgraded Zagreb facility, launched in 2014 in the Selska area, initially offered 450 square meters of technical space, with a planned second phase set to double its capacity. Hrvatski Telekom operates a total of five data centers across Croatia. This investment underscores a broader industry trend where telecom operators and data center owners are turning to smart, software-defined infrastructure management to reduce their carbon footprint and operational expenditure. The successful deployment positions Croatian Telecom as a regional leader in adopting advanced, sustainable operational technologies for its critical digital infrastructure.
Source: datacenterdynamics
