Sonexos and SIT team up on low-noise cooling for data centres

Sonexos SA and SIT announced a strategic collaboration on July 29, 2026 to pair active silencing technology with high-performance fan platforms for data centres, industrial cooling and battery energy storage systems. The companies say the effort is aimed at cutting low-frequency fan noise without sacrificing airflow, as acoustic limits become a bigger hurdle in new infrastructure projects.

Why it matters: - AI data centres, industrial cooling and battery storage projects are under growing pressure to reduce noise while increasing cooling capacity. - Low-frequency fan noise is harder to control with conventional passive silencers because those systems get larger, heavier and more expensive at lower frequencies. - The collaboration targets a real deployment issue: acoustic limits can affect permitting, system design and operation.

What happened: - Sonexos SA and SIT announced a strategic collaboration on July 29, 2026. - The partnership combines Sonexos’ Plasmapanel® Radial™ Active Silencer with SIT’s high-performance fan platforms. - The first target markets are AI and hyperscale data centres, industrial cooling systems and battery energy storage systems, or BESS. - Sonexos will prepare and certify a Plasmapanel Radial Active Silencer for compatible operation with an SIT fan unit. - Sonexos expects the first demonstrator to be ready for customer evaluation by the end of 2026.

The details: - Sonexos’ Plasmacoustic Metalayer™ creates an electronically controllable acoustic surface that actively absorbs sound over a broad low-frequency range. - The Plasmapanel Radial Active Silencer is designed to integrate with cooling systems while preserving airflow performance. - The technology is intended to avoid the size and pressure-drop penalties of passive attenuation. - SIT becomes the first Certified Fan Partner in Sonexos’ Certified Fan Partner Programme. - The certified SIT fan platform will be the first Certified Fan Platform in the Sonexos Active Silencer Ecosystem. - Sonexos will supply the active silencing technology directly to cooling-system manufacturers, system integrators and end-users. - SIT will position certified fan platforms as premium, low-noise-ready configurations for customers that need stronger acoustic performance. - The parties expect to sign definitive commercial agreements as customer programmes and product opportunities arise. - Sonexos describes itself as a Swiss technology company focused on solid-state plasmacoustic solutions for active noise reduction. - Sonexos says its Plasmacoustic Metalayer platform enables electronically programmable control of sound for compact, lightweight and energy-efficient management of low-frequency noise. - Sonexos says Plasmapanel and Plasmadrive technologies are designed to address the limits of conventional passive acoustic materials and traditional active noise control systems. - For more information, see Sonexos. - SIT says it develops intelligent solutions for environmental control and consumption measurement through its Heating & Ventilation, Smart Gas Metering and Water Metering business units. - SIT says it operates production sites in Italy, Mexico, Romania, China, Tunisia and Portugal. - SIT says its sales structure covers all key global markets. - For more information, see SIT. - Sonexos founder, president and CEO Mark Donaldson said the companies believe the combination could offer a fundamentally new approach to low-noise cooling. - SIT CEO Walter Albè said the collaboration creates new opportunities in fast-growing infrastructure sectors.

Between the lines: - The deal pairs a niche acoustic technology with established fan hardware, which suggests Sonexos is trying to move from concept to deployable system integration. - SIT gains a differentiated product angle in markets where noise is becoming a competitive feature, not just a compliance issue. - The certification framework matters because buyers in data centre and energy storage markets often want tested combinations, not standalone components.

What's next: - Sonexos will certify the first SIT-compatible fan platform and build the initial demonstrator. - The companies plan to pursue customer programmes and commercial agreements as product opportunities emerge. - Early evaluation is expected to begin once the demonstrator is available at the end of 2026.

The bottom line: - Sonexos and SIT are betting that low-noise cooling will become a buying requirement in next-generation infrastructure, not an optional upgrade.