Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association Launches as Voice of Data Centre Operators in the Region

APDCA founding members represent eight key players in the global data centre industry, including AirTrunk, Digital Realty, Equinix, Global Switch, NTT Global Data Centers, Princeton Digital Group, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and Vantage Data Centers. The Association will engage with governments to co-develop policies that drive the security and sustainability of data centres, as well as share its collective knowledge to strengthen and build modern, diversified, and resilient economies in Asia-Pacific through the competitive development of future-proofed facilities and services. According to Synergy Research Group, the APAC data centre colocation market will reach US$19.3B in 2023, overtaking North America to rank number one among all regions. The APAC market is also projected to grow at a 9.9% 5-year CAGR in value from 2022 to 2028, the second fastest growing region, while maintaining its number one position.[1]

SINGAPORE, Jan. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) has been launched today to represent the collective interests of the data centre industry in Asia-Pacific. This first-of-its-kind trade association group in Asia-Pacific aims to identify and formulate common positions between data centre operators, suppliers, and stakeholders, empowering the industry to advocate for policies and regulations that support the sustainable growth of the data centre industry.

The founding members of the APDCA represent leading global data centre operators, including AirTrunk, Digital Realty, Equinix, Global Switch, NTT Global Data Centers, Princeton Digital Group, ST Telemedia Global Data Centres, and Vantage Data Centers. These companies represent 40% of the APAC market (ex-Mainland China), according to Synergy.[2]

APDCA and its members have stated their commitment to working with governments to co-develop policies that drive the security and resiliency of data centres, minimise environmental impact, and deliver positive economic benefits to the local communities in which they operate.

According to Structure Research, the APAC data centre colocation market supported 10,233 megawatts (MW) of critical IT capacity in 2023, representing ~40% of the entire global market, and is projected to grow at a 13.3% 5-year CAGR to 19,069 MW by 2028 (or the equivalent of ~1,700MW of critical IT capacity added on average per year).[3]

Asia is at the epicentre of this growth and surging demand for managed data services. Data centre investment in a community spurs local public infrastructure upgrades and "job gravity", attracting a skilled ICT workforce.

"As economies in the region accelerate demand for digital services through adoption of 5G, generative AI, IoT, and cloud computing, a clear and aligned vision for the role of digital infrastructure and data centres has never been more important," said Jeremy Deutsch, Interim Chairperson of the APDCA.

"APDCA will represent this essential industry in the region, with a commitment to support the interests of our members, our industry and the people, businesses, and communities we serve."

APDCA is a sister organisation to the European Data Centre Association, a key voice in the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact which includes over 100 data centre operators and trade associations committed to leveraging technology and achieving ambitious reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to make Europe climate neutral by 2030.

"We have been watching the APDCA development with interest. Though our associations operate in different regulatory and political environments, many of our issues are global in nature: building the data centre of the future; meeting aspirational sustainability goals; and representing the importance of a robust digital infrastructure program to citizens and governments across the world. The EUDCA is looking forward to coordinating and working with the APDCA.  We wish you the best of success," said Lex Coors, Chair, and Michael Winterson, Managing Director of the European Data Centre Association.

The APDCA will be governed by a Board named by the founding members. The Board will convene shortly to elect a Chairperson and set the agenda for the Association.

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About the Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA)

The APDCA is an association that brings together leading commercial data centre operators in the Asia-Pacific to shape policy pathways and drive informed discussions about the systems and infrastructure needed to build a secure and sustainable digital future. For more information, please visit the APDCA website at www.apdca.org and follow APDCA on LinkedIn.