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Marvell Technology has embraced its role as a leader in semiconductor and related technology to trailblaze on the ESG front, making investments in infrastructure and strategy that can ideally encourage like-minded businesses to pursue environmental sustainability, instill more comprehensible hiring and retention practices, and build a better future.
Consider the data center, a vital part of tech’s past, present, and future. As Marvell describes, the question isn’t about whether the world is going to need more data centers. The broader debate should be centered around how those get built.
Dr. Radha Nagarajan, senior vice president and chief technology officer of optical and cloud connectivity at Marvell wrote a blog post in late 2023 asking builders and technologists to reconsider what they’re thinking about when they’re building a data center.
“Instead of building big, maybe we should think small,” Nagarajan explains. “Pluggable modules—which contain digital signal processors (DSPs), amplifiers, controllers, optical modulators, photodetectors, lasers, and other devices—essentially aggregate server traffic, convert it so it can flow across faster optical networks, and then fine-tune signals so that they can travel longer distances without dropping bits. Think of how a flashlight beam disperses and blurs the further away you point: DSPs counteract that effect.”
Nagarajan cites locations around the world that are rightfully concerned about water consumption, and the alarming statistic that mega-size data centers can use over 1,000,000 gallons of water a day, and that was before the days of processing-intensive processes like AI and ChatGPT.
As director of facilities engineering, construction, and capital planning, Erik Petersen is operating on the front lines of these conversations, tackling builds in India, Vietnam, Israel, and many, many more. The director can help reduce carbon emissions while still growing energy output. Petersen came to Marvell two years ago after spending 13 years as a director of real estate, facilities, and maintenance at Austin-based Flex.
“Working with Erik is always a great experience,” attests Michael Zeuger, senior principal with AlfaTech.
David Nikoley, senior principal for the project management firm ATPD, adds, “His hands-on leadership and passion for creating sustainable work environments creates projects that not only thrive in the short term but also stand as enduring pillar of success.”
As Marvell engages in its own shift toward data center rightsizing, the company has also set new standards for itself, found in the pages of its 2023 sustainability report. The company highlighted its commitment to integrating environmental and social considerations into product design, as well as its commitment to responsibility managing its supply chain.
Marvell has committed to maintaining its annual employee engagement score that is currently above the Glint Technology Industry Benchmark. While “people are our greatest resource” is a maxim shared by most company missions, employee satisfaction (ESat) scores act as a true indicator of who is actually walking the talk.
The company is also pursuing 100 percent Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP)-compliant tantalum, tin, tungsten, and gold processing facilities by the end of 2025. Marvell acknowledges that its reliance on suppliers for its own manufacturing provides the company an opportunity to push those suppliers to do better.
“We recognize that the extraction, processing, and trade of certain minerals contained in electronics—and semiconductors—could be associated with human rights violations and armed conflicts in the global supply chain,” Global Head of ESG Rebecca O’Neil wrote in a blog detailing the company’s ESG goals.
“We are working with our suppliers to transition to only using tin, tantalum, tungsten, gold, and cobalt processing facilities that have successfully completed an assessment against the applicable Responsible Minerals Initiative Responsible Minerals Assurance Process (RMAP) standard or an equivalent cross-recognized assessment,” she says.
ATPD is your trusted owner representative and procurement agent, offering comprehensive services, including Program/Project/Construction Management. With our expertise, we can efficiently plan and execute projects from start to finish. Our clients include Marvell, Adobe Systems, Paramount Studios, Digital Edge, and VMWare. Our markets include mission critical, corporate, life sciences, and more. AlfaTech offers integrated services in sustainable MEP design, technology, and lighting design across the USA and internationally. We are committed to environmentally conscious solutions. Our clients include Marvell, Uber, LinkedIn, Netflix, Adobe Systems, Visa, and Stanford University. Our markets include corporate, advanced technology, mission critical, healthcare, life sciences, and more.
