ALPS appoints Brian Turnbow to lead the development of next-generation AI data centers

The Italian scale-up has appointed Turnbow to lead its technical expansion into artificial intelligence and high-performance computing, with an energy-to-compute approach that aims to harness renewable energy sources and reuse existing assets to develop more sustainable compute infrastructure.

TRENTO, Italy, Oct. 15, 2026 /CNW/ -- ALPS announces the appointment of Brian Turnbow as Technical Director for AI. Founded in Trentino in 2018 and operating across four continents, the company is applying its expertise in designing, building and operating data centers integrated with energy systems to AI and HPC.

Access to power is one of the main constraints on AI infrastructure development. According to Terna data as of 31 August 2026, data center grid connection requests in Italy totalled more than 100 GW, up from around 30 GW at the end of 2024 -- a rise that makes site selection and grid connection lead times critical.

ALPS's energy-to-compute approach is based on a deliberate choice: locating data centers where energy is already available, including outside major hubs, to reduce reliance on congested areas of the grid. The company aims to integrate renewable energy sources and redevelop disused industrial sites, reusing existing grid connections, buildings and other assets wherever technically feasible. The aim is to develop more sustainable compute infrastructure, making use of local resources and, through asset reuse, limiting land take and reducing the need for new construction. This expansion complements ALPS's ongoing mining operations, which continue in line with its business plan.

Turnbow will lead ALPS's AI/HPC technical strategy, from assessing architectures and sites to engaging with technology and industrial partners. Italy will be a priority market. ALPS intends to bring its international expertise back to Italy and work with Italian engineering and industrial companies, drawing on their expertise in projects abroad as well.

"Italy and Europe have energy resources, industrial assets and technical expertise we can harness," says Francesco Buffa, CEO and co-founder of ALPS. "Through our energy-to-compute approach, we want to turn the energy and industrial potential of the regions in which we operate into a competitive advantage and help narrow Europe's AI gap."

Turnbow brings over 25 years' experience in telecommunications and digital infrastructure, having held technical roles at TWT, Unidata and CDLAN. He serves on the board of ITNOG.

"AI infrastructure starts well before GPU deployment," says Brian Turnbow. "Every project must start with the workloads it needs to support and clients' requirements, not just the available power. My goal is to translate these requirements into coherent design decisions, building flexible, scalable and sustainable computing capacity while making use of renewable energy sources and existing assets."

About ALPS

ALPS designs, builds and operates data centers for energy- and compute-intensive applications, combining energy expertise with data center engineering and operations. Its international growth has been supported by Azimut through a €40 million transaction in 2023 and a €105 million club deal in 2024.

For more information: www.alps.it

SOURCE ALPS