Singapore Cloud & Datacenter Convention 2024

The SIJORI Growth Triangle, encompassing Singapore, Johor (Malaysia), and the Riau Islands (Indonesia), presents a dynamic landscape for the development of hyperscale data centers, driven by its strategic geographical location, robust infrastructure, and burgeoning digital economy in the region. This session explores the burgeoning opportunities and inherent challenges associated with establishing and operating hyperscale data centers within this tri-regional area. It highlights how the unique economic, political, and technological synergies of SIJORI can facilitate the rapid growth of data center infrastructure, catering to the escalating demand for AI, cloud services, big data analytics, and content delivery networks in Southeast Asia and beyond.

The rapid evolution of digital technologies is a cornerstone for national development in the ASEAN region, offering unprecedented opportunities for economic growth, societal advancement, and regional integration. This session explores the synergistic potential of three pivotal technologies—Connectivity, Data Centers, Cloud and Artificial Intelligence (AI)—in empowering the digital future of ASEAN countries.

This keynote will explore the advancements and strategies in building sustainable data centers in Johor, with a focus on addressing water scarcity and infrastructure development. As Johor experiences rapid data center growth, these challenges have become more pronounced. The session aims to highlight practical solutions and collaborative efforts that can enhance the efficiency and sustainability of data centers in the region.

This session will showcase how to revolutionize AI infrastructure, leveraging the latest advancements in hardware and AI chips to meet the escalating demands of tomorrow. Join us as we unveil the synergistic strategies and cutting-edge technologies that are shaping the future of AI infrastructure. Gain exclusive insights into this powerful partnership and discover how it’s poised to redefine the landscape of AI implementation. ​

Singapore has recently announced it will resume data center development albieit a greener path. Today, Singapore is a regional DC hub, with a total capacity exceeding 1.4 gigawatts. DCs tap on Singapore’s broader international position as a business and digital hub. The ability to make DCs green will open the path to the continued and sustainable expansion of capacity. The Digital Connectivity Blueprint (DCB) spelled out the ambition – to map a path for the continued growth of green DCs and to push the sustainability envelope.

• Could Singapore have achieved it’s green digital ambition without a data center moratorium? and why?
• Which is the bigger data center challenge for Singapore? Acquiring green sources of energy or achieving energy efficiency? and why?
• What should the industry do to accelerate wide-scale adoption of emerging green technologies and sustainability best practices?
• US and China hyperscalers are among the biggest data center owners and lessees in Singapore. How are/should they contribute towards Singapore’s green DC ambition?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the global economy, driving innovations across industries and enhancing productivity. As AI systems become more integral to business operations, their demand for data processing power is pushing the expansion of data centers. These facilities, critical for hosting AI applications, require significant and reliable energy supplies to function efficiently. Strategic, long-term planning and collaboration among key stakeholders are essential to ensure that energy security can support the successful transition to an AI-driven economy.

With the proliferation of AI and Robotics, data center operations can no longer afford to be oblivious but move ahead from conventional practices.

With 20+ years of data center controls system experience, Chang, CEO of Onion Technology, will share with us his ideas on how to prepare and adopt AI and Robotics deployment in data centers to increase operational efficiency.

AI, which involves heavy computational workloads can generate significant heat on CPUs or GPUs. Dynamic phase-change cooling can help ensure that the hardware remains within its operating temperature range. This is important because excessive heat can degrade performance and even damage components over time.

The “dynamic” aspect of this cooling technology implies that it can adapt to changing heat loads in real-time. As the workload on the AI system fluctuates, the cooling system adjusts its cooling capacity accordingly to maintain the desired temperature levels. This adaptability is essential for ensuring consistent performance and reliability, especially in AI applications where workloads can vary widely depending on factors like the complexity of the algorithms being executed or the volume of data being processed. This session is led by leading Chinese Cloud Service Providers who are subject matter experts.

This topic delves into crucial learnings from notable data center outages, focusing on actionable strategies to bolster data center resiliency and reliability. It emphasizes the need for a proactive approach to risk management, highlighting the importance of identifying potential vulnerabilities and implementing robust preventive measures. The discussion will cover advanced design principles, redundancy systems, and the integration of cutting-edge monitoring technologies to predict and mitigate risks effectively.

Rising energy costs and growing environmental concerns necessitate a focus on improving energy efficiency in IT operations. This panel discussion explores how cloud computing, coupled with artificial intelligence-powered automation, can revolutionize how computing and IT equipment utilize energy. Experts will delve into the technical aspects, cost benefits, and environmental impact of this innovative approach. Join us for a thought-provoking discussion that will equip you with the knowledge to make informed decisions about your IT infrastructure and contribute to a greener future.

EkkoSense’s Robert Linsdell sets out how transitioning to AI computing and liquid cooling can prove particularly challenging for data center operators in regions with power-constraints such as Singapore. This increases focus on the need for absolute white space visibility so that operations teams can balance their workloads, cooling, and power in real-time – while still supporting their ESG and sustainability agendas. He sets out how AI and machine learning will play a critical role in giving data center operators the granular control needed to optimize thermal performance, power, and capacity – preventing data center power wastage while also delivering quantifiable carbon savings

Key questions that will be addressed in this panel:

• Rack density has grown from a relatively common 2kW per rack in 2007 to an average of 8kW. Where are you seeing density moving to and what are the challenges of
  this?
• What challenges does that bring to the architecture and infrastructure of newly built DC’s? Is ‘Cloud’ dead or of lesser importance now?
• Many legacy facilities have been around for 20 years or more, how is it possible to
  transform these facilities to cope with higher density?
• What parts of the infrastructure require a complete redesign?

Digital infrastructure in smart manufacturing not only enhances efficiency and productivity but also supports sustainable practices by optimizing resource use and reducing waste. It is an essential component of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0), enabling manufacturers to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. However, integrating new digital technologies with existing manufacturing systems and processes can be complex. Many facilities operate with legacy systems that are not initially designed to communicate with modern IoT devices or software, creating compatibility issues. The session explores the challenges and solutions n detail.

The digital infrastructure M&A outlook for 2024 is marked by optimism, driven by technological advancements, global expansion, and a focus on sustainability, all underpinned by a broader recovery in the M&A market. However, this optimism may not be shared by everyone. In some regions, the data center market might be approaching saturation, which can limit growth opportunities and put pressure on pricing and profitability. This saturation could make it harder to find attractive acquisition targets without entering into competitive bidding wars, which could drive up acquisition costs. hyperscalers are increasingly becoming competitors by building and owning their own data centers. It’s never a good position for a landlord to have its biggest tenants also be competitors. Even where hyperscalers remain in a co-location data center, the threat of building their own facilities provides leverage to negotiate better terms. These better terms usually mean shorter duration leases signed, and less net rent to the data center landlord.

• Which investment themes and strategies will drive more M&A in the next 24 months?
• How much M&A activity will we see and what makes SEA attractive?
• How will increasing protectionism and geopolitical risks affect cross-border M&A?
• How are companies integrating their domestic and foreign operations to build global management systems and structures?
• To what extent are regulations driving more private takeovers and how accessible are they?
• Valuations and expectations – what has changed in the last twelve months?