SK Telecom and its partners will develop technology across all major liquid cooling methods: Direct, Immersion and Precision
In brief – why this matters
–SK Telecom and partners will co-develop next-gen liquid cooling technologies for AI data centers as liquid cooling becomes critical to support high-density GPU workloads.
–The partnership will cover all major liquid cooling methods — Direct, Immersion and Precision — positioning the firm to lead in thermal innovation.
-SK Telecom telco is scaling its AI infrastructure strategy — including investments in Lambda and Penguin Solutions
Korean telco SK Telecom continues to get involved in the AI infrastructure space with a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Giga Computing, a specialist in liquid cooling technology, and SK Enmove to jointly develop next-generation cooling solutions tailored for AI workloads.
Under the terms of this deal, the three parties aim to collaborate on extensive research and development efforts, including validating technologies to optimize liquid cooling performance and developing artificial intelligence data center (AIDC) solutions for high-density, performance-intensive environments that traditional cooling systems struggle to support effectively.
Giga Computing will contribute its expertise in liquid cooling solutions, while SK Enmove will be in charge of supplying high-quality, energy-efficient cooling fluids that are engineered for scalability, reliability, and long-term sustainability in large-scale data center deployments.
The cooperation will focus on optimizing and validating all three liquid cooling methods commonly used in data centers: Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC), Immersion Liquid Cooling (ILC), and Precision Liquid Cooling (PLC). Additionally, the companies will develop a liquid cooling package solution by conducting operational verification, which houses GPU and NPU servers essential for AI model training and inference.
Through this new partnership, SK Telecom aims to enhance its capabilities in designing and operating next-generation cooling technologies that minimize power consumption and heat generation, something, which is key in the operation of AI data centers. Furthermore, the Korean company plans to leverage its advancements in cooling technology to strengthen the competitiveness of the SK Group in the field of AI data centers and digital infrastructure innovation.
“Our partnership will accelerate the development of liquid cooling solutions, a key next-generation technology for AIDCs,” said Yang Seung-hyun, head of AI R&D Center at SK Telecom. “SK Telecom is committed to becoming a global leader in AIDC operations with unique capabilities through collaboration with global leading companies.”
“SK Enmove will leverage this collaboration to drive the growth of the liquid cooling market with optimized cooling fluids that can maximize data center energy efficiency and further solidify our position as a leader in energy efficiency,” said Kim Dae-jung, head of the Green Business Unit at SK Enmove.
As part of its long-term vision, SK Telecom recently said it is fast-tracking the development of its AI Infrastructure Superhighway, which consists of three core pillars: AI data centers, GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS), and Edge AI — each serving different layers of AI delivery.
To reinforce its AI data center business, the Korean telco has made strategic investments in Lambda, a global GPU cloud provider, and signed an investment agreement with Penguin Solutions, a specialist in AI-driven data center solutions. In December 2024, SK Telecom launched the Gasan AI data center in partnership with Lambda and introduced ‘SKT GPUaaS’ to accelerate AI infrastructure expansion in both domestic and international markets.
Additionally, the Korean carrier is continuing its collaboration with Penguin Solutions to drive global AIDC expansion, develop next-generation memory appliances, and advance joint research and commercialization efforts targeting emerging enterprise AI use cases and vertical-specific demands.
SK Telecom had reorganized its operations into seven key divisions, with a strong focus on AI. This includes specialized units such as AI Transformation (AIX), AIDC, A. (A-Dot), and Global Personal AI Agent (GPAA), all dedicated to enabling differentiated services and AI leadership.
In 2023, SK Telecom announced its ambition to become a global artificial intelligence company by strengthening its own AI competitiveness and cooperating with partners globally.
