TÜV Nord Group Acquires Data Center Audit, Certification, Training Firm EPI
Data center audit, certification and professional training organization EPI recently was acquired by TÜV Nord Group—a company that provides services related to testing, inspection, certification, engineering, and training. TÜV Nord Group has 6 business units: mobility; industry; energy and resources; certification; digital and semiconductor; and people and empowerment. Since 2001, the company has provided solutions for data center operators with a focus on security, resilience, energy efficiency, and sustainability. It has a strongly established certification practice in Germany, Australia, and Switzerland and is “increasingly successful in the international market,” the company said, adding that its “TSI [Trusted Site Infrastructure] certification methodology is considered the de facto standard for physically secure and highly available IT infrastructures.” It offers services covering the entire lifecycle of a data center, including site and design evaluations, conformity assessments, and certifications of constructed facilities according to its own TSI standard as well as ISO/IEC 22237 and EN 50600.
When the companies jointly announced the acquisition, TÜV Nord Group’s certification business unit chief executive officer Wolfgang Wielpütz commented that with the acquisition, the company “is set to be global leader in certification and training services for data centers. We expect continued strong growth in the data center market, driven by digitalization and platform solutions, technologies such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing and 5G/IoT. Our customers expect comprehensive solutions and local support from a one-stop shop.”
“The acquisition of EPI is a strategically important step in implementing our global strategy of internationalization, with a particular focus on the Asia-Pacific region,” added Dirk Stenkamp, TÜV Nord AG’s chief executive officer. “With this acquisition, we are strengthening our international presence and making targeted investments in the global growth market for data centers—a market that is opening up new dimensions, particularly with gigawatt-class AI data centers.”
Edward van leent, EPI Group’s CEO, stated, “By joining TÜV Nord, EPI gains the strength and resources to continue its global expansion while maintaining our commitment to quality, independence, and innovation. Our shared values of the highest technical integrity, market-leading performance standards and a strong customer focus make this a synergistic partnership.”
EPI also assured its customers, partners, and students that “it is business as usual” now that the firm has been acquired. “EPI will continue to deliver the same level of trusted services, training excellence, and responsive global support under the EPI brand, now with the added strength and capabilities of TÜV Nord.”
EPI added that as part of TÜV Nord, it will offer “expanded value to the global data center industry through enhanced service portfolio—combining EPI’s existing data center certification and training portfolio with TÜV Nord’s TSI (Trusted Site Infrastructure), OSI and sustainable standards.” EPI also pointed out it will offer deeper technical resources to address emerging challenges around AI, high-density workloads, and evolving regulatory compliance.