ENERGY OPTIMISATION PROJECT FOCUSES ON AI DATA CENTRES
SCHOOL La Trobe University Australia
L a Trobe University has announced its participation in a new project aimed at optimising energy use and emissions in Australia’s data centres
and supporting the sustainable development of AI technologies.
With a view to building a next-generation energy management prototype, La Trobe researchers plan to develop a framework for managing heating, ventilation and cooling systems more efficiently. Right now, cooling systems account for up to 30 per cent of a data centre’s energy use. “This project builds the skills and expertise needed for the next generation of researchers and innovators and will guide the operation of sustainable AI data centres,” declared Theo Farrell, vice‑chancellor and president of La Trobe. Partners in the project include the University of Western Australia’s (UWA) Centre for Quantum Information, Simulation and Algorithms (QUISA), NEXTDC, Fujitsu and AQ Intelligence. “As AI accelerates, the challenge is not simply to produce more energy but also to orchestrate it intelligently,” noted NEXTDC CEO Craig Scroggie, expressing the company’s hope that the project will allow Australia to lead research in “sustainable, high-performance AI computing systems”. “By combining advanced quantum and AI techniques with industry-scale testing, we aim to show how emerging technologies can directly reduce both energy consumption and carbon emissions,” added Jingbo Wang, QUISA director and head of physics at UWA. EB
CEOs’ CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES SHAPE THEIR APPROACH TO SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE
“Our research shows that many CEOs consider labour safety a very serious matter,” stated Michel Magnan, study co-author and a professor in the Department of Accountancy at the John Molson School of Business. “Less powerful CEOs may back down under pressure from their boards when confronted with arguments that better workplace safety entails higher costs. But if you are a powerful CEO who believes it is important and a value creator, you’ll charge ahead,” Magnan continued, noting the finding’s relevance for boards, investors and policymakers. While safety is important for all workers and employers, it also has significant social and economic implications. In the US, for example, government and NGO data suggests that there were more than 2.6 million workplace injuries in 2023, costing some $176 billion and 103 million work days. EB
SCHOOL John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, Canada
EOs who lived through natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods or
C
hurricanes, in their childhood are more focused on safety in their organisation than those who did not, according to new research. The study showed that organisations run by CEOs who had personal experience of a natural disaster during their formative years reported approximately 24 per cent fewer work-related injuries than other firms. These results were even more pronounced among what is termed “powerful CEOs” and those operating in industries with weaker unions. The age and gender of the CEOs involved was not found to be significant.
8 Business Impact • ISSUE 2 • 2026
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