The Future of Cooling Technology: Key Insights from the 2025 CTI Conference

The Cooling Technology Institute (CTI) marked its 75th anniversary in style at this year’s annual conference in Memphis, bringing together industry leaders, engineers, and suppliers from around the world.

With record attendance and a strong international delegation, the conference reinforced the increasing demand for efficient cooling technology solutions.

We caught up with Jim Baker, CTI President and Galebreaker Industrial’s North and South America representative, to share his key takeaways from the event.

1) AI is driving demand for cooling technology

A key topic was the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in data centre cooling. With ever-more capable AI, we are seeing a rising demand for data storage and processing power, which in turn drives an increasing need for reliable cooling infrastructure and cooling towers.

These facilities house expensive, high-performance servers that generate significant heat, making effective cooling essential to prevent overheating. Without proper airflow and protection, airborne debris and extreme temperatures can compromise the performance of this cooling technology.

Galebreaker is well-positioned to support this market. With specialist fabric technology and custom-fit designs, our protective solutions help maintain fan performance, minimise pressure drop across air inlets, and protect critical cooling infrastructure from seasonal and environmental impacts.

Read more about our data centre cooling solutions and why cooling towers need fabric shielding solutions.

2) Policy shifts drive new opportunities for airflow and weather protection solutions

With a mixture of rising energy demand, environmental challenges, and evolving policies, industries are prioritising cooling efficiency.

Changing market conditions in the US—alongside potential shifts in policy direction—could stimulate renewed activity across oil and gas sectors in particular, increasing demand for cooling infrastructure and greater need for performance shielding and weather protection.

Optimising airflow in cooling towers and air-cooled condensers (ACCs) is critical to minimising thermal losses and improving overall performance. Windscreens are playing a greater role in helping businesses reduce inefficiencies, particularly as sectors such as power generation, petrochemicals, and data centres seek more sustainable and cost-effective solutions.

Balancing maintenance and operational performance

At the conference, Galebreaker gained further recognition for its high-performance cooling tower and ACC solutions. With representatives from both our UK and US teams, the conference provided an excellent platform to showcase our expertise in both areas:

• Cooling tower solutions include preventing debris buildup, providing plume abatement, ice formation, and structural damage, extending system lifespan and reducing maintenance needs.
• ACC screens optimise airflow and stabilise fan performance, reducing wind impact to maintain consistent production levels. When paired with CFD modelling, they enhance airflow dynamics and cooling efficiency, minimising mechanical wear and the risk of costly downtime.

Both solutions support long-term performance and operational reliability, helping facilities avoid inefficiencies and unplanned disruptions.

3) Digital transformation is reshaping the industry

The way the cooling industry does business has evolved significantly since the industry’s foundation in the 1950s. Beyond digital communication, new technologies are transforming system monitoring, efficiency analysis, and equipment design.

As digital tools become more embedded in operations, bridging the gap between experienced engineers and new professionals will be key to ensuring progress continues.

Combining long-term experience and technical knowledge, encouraging fresh perspectives, and nurturing new entrants with diverse skill sets, will help businesses adapt to evolving technologies – ensuring the industry remains innovative, resilient, and futureproof.

4) In-person collaboration remains key

For all the talk of digital advancements, Jim stressed how in-person networking at industry events like CTI is invaluable.

Face-to-face discussions allow industry professionals to exchange ideas, solve challenges, and build relationships in a way that digital communication cannot replace. These interactions help drive innovation and industry-wide improvements.

5) Looking ahead, standardisation and performance assurance is a priority

As cooling technology continues to advance, standardisation and certification programs will play an increasingly important role in ensuring efficiency and reliability.

CTI has long been at the forefront of setting technical standards, and there is growing interest in expanding certification programs across more cooling technologies – including for performance shielding and weather protection.

Missed the conference?

Technical papers from the 2025 CTI Conference are available for cooling technology professionals, along with a bibliography spanning the institute’s 75-year history. Visit the CTI website or contact the CTI office to request access.

Learn more about Galebreaker’s solutions

Discover how our custom fabric-engineered industrial solutions can optimise cooling efficiency, enhance performance, and protect your equipment.