APL designs and builds a data center for the LyonTech - la Doua university campus

Published on May 23, 2026 -

The Inter-Institutional Center for Network Services (CISR), which manages the shared IT infrastructure of Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University and INSA, relied on APL Data Center to design and build a next-generation computing and data center that will ultimately host 300 IT racks.

Client company

Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1 & INSA

Industry

Public sector

Type of support

Project management

Type of service

Design and construction of a scalable, low-energy-consumption computing and data center for the LyonTech-la Doua campus

Context and objectives of the assignment

Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University, in partnership with INSA Lyon, decided to build a next-generation data center on the LyonTech-la Doua campus, which has 22,000 students and brings together 90 research laboratories.
The new computing and data center meets several objectives:

Pooling of digital and computing infrastructures of the institutions
Real estate rationalization
Reduction of 5 GWh in energy consumption and 418 tons of greenhouse gases in CO2 equivalent
Data security and digital sovereignty

Following a competitive process, APL Data Center was selected to design and build the new data center due to its expertise in this field and the quality of its technical responses. The first phase is scheduled to go into production by the end of 2024. Scalable, the computing and data center will ultimately host 300 IT racks.

Completed assignments

Preliminary design studies
Detailed data center design
Construction planning
Selection of construction companies
Construction project management
Assistance with data center acceptance operations
Support to define best practices for data center maintenance and operations

Client benefits

Scalable data center offering very high levels of availability, performance, and security (ISO 27001 and HDS certifications).
Reduction in energy consumption and improvement in environmental performance through optimization of water temperature regimes, high-efficiency equipment, optimized airflow management, widespread use of variable flow, and implementation of free chilling. Target PUE of 1.3, compared to 2.15 previously.
Heat recovery for nearby premises or buildings that will be able to

Our solutions for

APL Data Center designs and optimizes critical infrastructures capable of meeting the major challenges of the digital age: data security, service continuity, scalability, cost control and sustainability.
Through a global approach integrating innovation and CSR, we support every type of client in creating next-generation data centers tailored to their uses and constraints.

Hyperscaler

On the scale of major cloud operators, APL Data Center designs and deploys infrastructures built for performance, resilience and energy efficiency, to support the global rise of cloud and AI and to build the responsible data centers of tomorrow.

Colocation

Faced with the challenges of availability and proximity of digital services, APL Data Center supports hosting providers in creating modular, secure, and scalable data centers. Designed infrastructures meet the needs of distributed cloud and edge architectures.

Company

To support the digital transformation of organizations, APL Data Center designs and optimizes reliable, scalable, and sustainable data centers. These sovereign infrastructures meet the performance, security, and compliance requirements of businesses.

Public sector

Serving public sector actors, APL Data Center designs secure, compliant, and eco-efficient data centers that meet regulatory requirements and digital sovereignty challenges while guaranteeing service continuity.