ALPS Names Brian Turnbow to Lead Its AI Data Center Push in Italy

ALPS appointed Brian Turnbow Technical Director for AI on Oct. 15, putting him in charge of shaping its Italy-focused data center strategy for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing (HPC).

Turnbow will review potential locations and system architectures and work with technology and industrial partners. ALPS’s siting approach prioritizes areas with accessible power, considers locations beyond major hubs and favors renewable energy. It also calls for adapting existing industrial properties and infrastructure, including buildings and grid connections, where practical.

Power-grid connection requests for data centers in Italy exceeded 100 gigawatts as of Aug. 31, 2026, compared with about 30 GW at the end of 2024. A request is an early step toward building and connecting a facility; the figures do not represent operating data center capacity. High energy demand from data centers can require new grid infrastructure or upgrades to existing systems.

Italy is a priority market for ALPS, which was founded in Trentino in 2018 and combines data center engineering with energy systems. The company plans to keep its mining operations running under its current business plan as it develops its AI and HPC strategy.

Turnbow’s career spans more than 25 years in telecommunications and digital infrastructure. He has held technical roles at TWT, Unidata and CDLAN and serves on the ITNOG board. “AI infrastructure starts well before GPU deployment,” Turnbow said.