Australia is rapidly developing its data center industry.
The Australian newspaper reported, "If Australia once exported resources, it may soon export data centers."
Last month, on the 20th, Jamie Moss, Industry and Policy Lead at Macquarie Technology Group, introduced Australia’s strategy for attracting data centers during a meeting in Canberra. This signifies that attracting data centers will become a strategic industry initiative—just like past resource exports—for generating new economic benefits for Australia. Macquarie Group operates “sovereign data centers” managing government data and is regarded as a core enterprise in Australia’s data center industry.
Major countries are increasingly competing to attract data centers. In the past, data centers were merely “digital warehouses” for storing data and retrieving it when needed; today, they have evolved into core infrastructure and national strategic assets in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). This is precisely why the Australian government is actively nurturing this sector. In December last year, the Australian federal government released the National AI Plan, listing infrastructure development—including data centers—as a top priority. Representative support measures include the Strategic State Development (SSD), a fast-track large-scale project licensing system that condenses multi-year plans into months, and Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), long-term contracts with power generators ensuring stable electricity supply. Moss stated: “Australia can enter into PPAs with diverse private power generators to secure long-term access to desired energy for data centers. It is precisely because of guaranteed power supply that investment plans can be formulated, enabling actual construction to proceed swiftly.”
The results are already evident. Real estate advisory firm Knight Frank noted that in 2024, Australia ranked second globally in data center investment inflows, behind only the United States, with $6.7 billion in attracted investment. Amazon announced plans to invest AUD 20 billion in Australia’s data center infrastructure by 2029, while Microsoft also plans to invest AUD 5 billion.
Australia is not alone in aggressively pursuing data center development. India offers foreign enterprises up to 20 years of tax reductions and has established special economic zones dedicated to data centers, providing comprehensive support. Malaysia, meanwhile, focuses on incentives such as up to 100% investment tax credits and guarantees of grid connection within 12 months after approval, rapidly increasing its data center capacity.
Jennifer Huang Lun, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), said: “Data centers are not just simple commercial assets—they are national strategic assets of the 21st century. Even if AI models are highly advanced, data sovereignty and technological sovereignty cannot be ensured if the data centers driving them are located overseas.”
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861689662388224/
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