This week a vibrant Data Center Infrastructure Expert (DCIE)®️ training program is underway in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Over the course of five days, participants are undertaking an intensive technical program covering the critical disciplines involved in the engineering, design, implementation, and management of modern mission-critical data center infrastructure. The program brings together data center professionals to further develop the technical knowledge and expertise required to support resilient, efficient and future-ready digital infrastructure, contributing to workforce development across Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region. IDCA extends its appreciation to Knight Frank Malaysia⁠ for hosting the training program.

IDCA Chairman’s Keynote today at Capacity Europe 2026, wraps up IDCA’s visit to the UK. The keynote titled “The €100 Billion Question: Who Funds Europe’s AI Infrastructure?” addressed one of the most pressing challenges facing Europe's digital infrastructure sector: securing the investment required to support the rapid expansion of AI-ready infrastructure. With demand for computing capacity continuing to grow, the presentation examined the evolving investment landscape, the roles of private capital and public-sector support, and the financial models needed to make large-scale infrastructure projects commercially viable. The session highlighted the bold importance of project bankability and sustainable financing strategies in enabling Europe to develop the digital infrastructure capacity required to support its growing AI ambitions. IDCA delegation to London together with the IDCA UK team conducted back to back meetings with key leaders and stakeholders accross the digital infrastructure landscape.

The Data Center Operations Manager (DCOM)® training program is officially underway at Khazna Data Centers (@khazna_dc) in the UAE, conducted by the International Data Center Authority (IDCA) from 12–16 October 2026. Following last week's DCIE® training, the focus now shifts to the operational management and governance of mission-critical data center environments. Throughout the five-day program, participants will explore the principles, methodologies, and management practices essential to maintaining operational excellence, strengthening resilience, mitigating risk, and ensuring the long-term performance of critical digital infrastructure. The continued collaboration between IDCA and Khazna Data Centers reflects a shared commitment to advancing professional expertise and strengthening the region's data center workforce.

The Opening Keynote of Data Center Eurasia 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey was delivered by IDCA Chairman & CEO Mehdi Paryavi, presenting “The Global State of the Data Center Industry: Past, Present and the Future.” The keynote examined the forces reshaping the global data center industry as AI drives unprecedented demand for compute capacity and places increasing pressure on power, infrastructure, investment, and the specialized workforce required to support continued growth. During the session IDCA Chairman received a recognition award for IDCA's contribution to the 2026 Data Center Eurasia gathering. Among the key topics covered during the opening keynote were digital sovereignty, infrastructure concentration, energy constraints, and community pushback.

The International Data Center Authority (IDCA) hosted the French Trade Delegation in Washington D.C. on an exclusive data center and digital industry workshop. The session took place in Ashburn, Virginia, at Loudoun County Office of Economic Development, for a thorough briefing on the evolving data center landscape in the United States and the infrastructure requirements shaping the next phase of global digital growth. The French Trade Delegation included senior executive members from Acoustique Toutes Fréquences, APL Data Center, CBRE, CIC, DROSSBACH, EDF, EQUANS, GEODIS, Geostock Sandia, Hutchinson, Nexans, Saft, SLB, Technip Energies, TotalEnergies, Valeo, Veolia, Watt & Well and SolidUltra. During the briefing IDCA executives Buddy Rizer, Robert Cavey and John Sullivan took the audience through the evolution of the world's largest digital hub, standardization and conformance requirements, and best practices across the US government and beyond. On a deeper dive, Edward Hamner and Abbas Paryavi led the IDCA workshop, examining the recent experiences as data center and AI infrastructure have expanded at unprecedented scale. The discussion addressed digital sovereignty, power and water constraints, workforce readiness, community considerations, AI-era facility design, and the importance of coordinated governance and long-term infrastructure planning. The session also explored how lessons from established data center markets can inform national digital infrastructure strategies, from avoiding development bottlenecks to creating scalable ecosystems capable of supporting future compute demand. IDCA's continues to support nations and organizations around the world via its unmatched commitment to the global digital economic prosperity.

IDCA Chairman & CEO, Mehdi Paryavi, took the stage today at @AiEverythingAD Abu Dhabi 2026, on a center stage Fireside Chat with Mackenzie Hawkins, Technology Reporter at Bloomberg News . The session topic was "The Global Consensus" — Standards as The Social Contract and Digital Infrastructure The Backbone of Digital Economies. The discussion was a frank conversation on the political landscape, the need for global consensus, the bottlenecks, and the realities before us. The dialog also focused on the critical infrastructure required to support AI at scale, as unprecedented demand for compute continues to reshape the global data center landscape. From infrastructure capacity and standardization to workforce readiness and long-term digital strategy, the session addressed the foundations required to support the next generation of AI development. Ai Everything Abu Dhabi brings together leaders from government, technology, AI, and industry at the ADNEC Centre in Abu Dhabi from October 6–7.

The International Data Center Authority (IDCA) has appointed Isbasaran Group as its Regional Representative for Turkey, establishing a strategic partnership to advance data center and digital infrastructure development across the market. The partnership will support data center development, investment facilitation, strategic advisory, certification, standards, and workforce development across Turkey and the wider region. Read more: idc-a.org/news/idca/Internat… Great thanks to @UKaanIsbasaran, @feyzi_fyzisbsrn, and @NEceIsbasaran

The Office of the Prime Minister of The Bahamas has officially announced the signing of a strategic digital economy and digital hub initiative with the International Data Center Authority (IDCA), as a major milestone in the country's sovereign digital infrastructure journey. The announcement follows a high-level meeting between Prime Minister The Rt. Hon. Philip Edward Davis KC, MP and the IDCA delegation, where both parties formalized a long-term framework to advance The Bahamas' national data center capabilities, sovereign digital infrastructure, digital hub development, AI readiness, and digital economy. The initiative builds upon discussions first launched during the United Nations General Assembly in New York and reflects a shared vision to position The Bahamas as a leading digital hub for the Caribbean through world-class digital infrastructure, strategic investment, energy resilience, and internationally recognized standards. The IDCA delegation was joined by consortium partners including IDCA Global Foundation, Aton Path, the flagship Accessibility Energy Bank initiative, and IDCA’s local partner in the Bahamas, Bahamas Technological Services Ltd. (BTSL), to deliver the agreed sovereign digital infrastructure program designed to position The Bahamas as a leading digital hub for the Caribbean. As governments around the world accelerate their digital transformation agendas, sovereign digital infrastructure has become a strategic foundation for economic diversification, national resilience, and long-term competitiveness. IDCA is honoured to support the Government of The Bahamas in building the digital foundations that will empower future generations and strengthen the nation's role in the global digital economy. idc-a.org/news/idca/IDCA-Sig… opm.gov.bs/prime-minister-da…

The World Investment Report 2026 published by the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) acknowledges IDCA Chairman, Mehdi Paryavi, and IDCA Global Foundation CEO, Dr. Simona Anamaria Marinescu, with special appreciation for IDCA's support and feedback on the report. The WIR is a flagship report of the United Nations that is published annually and referenced by the global investment community. IDCA welcomes the publication of UNCTAD’s World Investment Report 2026: International Investment in a Turbulent Era. This year’s report comes at a defining moment for global investment. Capital is moving again, yet investment is becoming more concentrated, more strategic, and less accessible to many developing economies. The report’s focus on artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, strategic sectors, industrial policy and productive capacity speaks directly to the questions shaping the next phase of development. Full report here: unctad.org/system/files/offi… IDCA congratulates UNCTAD and the Division on Investment and Enterprise on this important publication and look forward to continuing to support global dialogue on investment, digital transformation, and development impact.

The global data center landscape is at a pivotal point, where artificial intelligence (AI) is redefining much of its blueprint. The future of digital infrastructure is being defined by the evolving demand for AI, driving the industry toward a new generation of AI factories, higher-density computing, advanced cooling technologies, and greater energy demands. This transformation is accelerating: •The evolution from traditional data centers to giga-scale AI factories • Rising global investment in digital infrastructure • New methods to power, cooling, and sustainability • Greater emphasis on security, quality assurance, and standardized infrastructure, therefore standardization and conformance (AE360) Understanding the entire data center ecosystem and the industry landscape is essential to unlocking the potential that is currently the bottleneck to AI's growth and expansion. As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, digital infrastructure is becoming the core strategic pillar of economic growth, national competitiveness, and technological leadership.

The International Data Center Authority (IDCA) announces the release of the Global Energy Report 2026. The Global Energy Report 2026 provides an all-inclusive research and an in-depth analysis of the availability and viability of energy around the world as one of the defining challenges facing the AI era to powering the next generation of digital infrastructure. As AI adoption accelerates worldwide, energy has become a strategic and focal element influencing where data centers are built, how AI factories are designed, and which nations are best positioned to lead the digital economy. Developed through IDCA's global research, intelligence and analytics, the 2026 report provides actionable insights for governments, policymakers, investors, digital infrastructure operators, and industry leaders navigating the future of AI, digital infrastructure and digital economies that depend on energy. The report examines the global energy terrain, infrastructure capacity, grid readiness, sustainability, emerging power technologies, and the evolving relationship between energy security and digital sovereignty. It also introduces key findings on AI-driven electricity demand, regional infrastructure constraints, and the strategic shift toward sovereign power generation. The Global Energy Report 2026 is now available for download: idc-a.org/insights/swfroytTk…

Heard in the Industry 💬 “Our ambition is to become the leading gateway to digital technologies, enabling organisations to define precise data residency, access control and data protection policies through encryption keys generated and managed outside public cloud environments.” – Sofia Collado, CEO, Telefónica Tech. $VIV

Heard in the Aisle💬 (The random graph theory approach) is a breakthrough that will deliver greater reliability and performance for AWS customers, save billions of dollars in hardware, and lower CO2 emissions across a growing number of grids where the company operates.” – Kirsteen Rodger, Head of Owned Content, AWS. $AMZN

⚡️Tech7 Issues New Statement on Growth of Digital Technologies “Digital technologies are now central to economic security, geopolitical influence, and long-term competitiveness,” according to a new statement from Tech7, an initiative within Digital Europe. “Artificial intelligence, advanced connectivity, cloud infrastructure and data-driven innovation are transforming how economies grow, how public services are delivered, and how societies function.” The organization is focusing on AI adoption, and represents companies that are designing and building out digital infrastructure.

⚡️Utah Governor Seeks “Higher Standard” for Data Centers The governor of the western US state of Utah @GovCox has signed an executive order outlining what's called a Data Center Framework that includes setting a “higher standard” for the state. The order directs state agencies to prioritize protection of the state's water and air-quality resources, safeguard utilities' ratepayers, mitigage wildlife impacts, and support transparent public engagement by data center developers.

⚡️Amazon Touts “Radical New Network Design” A new conception involving random graph theory to data center design is being touted by $AMZN as a way to a more efficient future. The design involves moving beyond traditional tree-like heirarchies, in which processing outputs progress logically through series of steps. The random graph approach can obviate bottlenecks and increase resiliency by reducing single points of failure, according to the company.

⚡️Ohio Governor Suspends Data Center Tax Break The Midwestern state of Ohio in the US is becoming a popular destination for large new data center projects. As community concerns arise, the state's governor @GovMikeDeWine has now suspended a tax break that is linked to attracting new data center business to the state. Residents are also working to place new restrictions on data centers onto the upcoming November general election.

⚡️Telefónica and Google Team Up for Spanish Sovereign Cloud Spanish company @Telefonica and Google Cloud plan to deliver a new sovereign cloud offering for Spanish public administrations and private companies. The plan is to offer Google Cloud Data Boundary services through local infrastructure designed to “provide verifiable controls over data protection (and) residency and personal access.” $VIV $GOOGL $GOOG

⚡️Ascenty Investing $1.2 Billion in Brazil Data center infrastructure company @Ascenty has begun a $1.2 billion investment plan to build four data centers in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. The company plans to start operations in Q3 2027 in the city of Sumaré, where Ascenty already operates two data center buildings. The plan also calls for expansion of the company's second data center in Vinhedo, and to build a third facility at the same site. Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of this year.

Water Usage is Not a Simple Issue 💧 - Story of the week Concerns about water consumption are at the center of many community pushback efforts regarding large new data centers, in the US and elsewhere. Even though data centers worldwide use only 0.1% of all the water available for human consumption, local concerns nevertheless often arise. Developers also point out that new AI centers will most likely use closed-loop, direct-to-chip cooling (required because of the amount of heat generated by high-end GPUs), which does not use water during operations. But developers, planners, and communities should also look at indirect water usage, that is, the amount needed by utilities to provide the power for new data center facilities. Nuclear energy, for example, consumes 500 to 1,000 gallons of water per megawatt hour. A gigawatt-scale nuclear reactor thus needs several millions of gallons of water per day; should new facilities be built that focus on providing power to new AI centers, the water issue thus becomes a valid concern. The large gas turbines being proposed for some facilities use only about 20% of the water required by nuclear plants to provide the steam to turn the turbines and generate electricity. But of course the gas turbines do emit CO2, unlike nuclear power plants. The idea of using solar and/or wind power for new large facilities thus emerges, as this type of energy does not consume water and does not produce CO2 emissions. But these technologies require large amounts of land, as much as 10 acres per megawatt, and the wind towers or solar panels are themselves are not green when being manufactured or at the end of their lifecycle. Data centers deliver all of today's cloud stage services, social media, video streaming, business processing, modern manufacturing and logistics, smart transportation grids, other smart city services. They are the foundation of a growing, global Digital Economy that has reached between 4% and 25% of every nation's overall economy. Data centers are the foundation of $20 trillion in digitalized economic products and services. They will continue to grow, with numerous AI centers and hubs representing almost $1 trillion in investment already being planned. The influential Telecommunications Information Association (TIA) recently noted that investment in data centers and AI hubs is now ten times higher than investment in global telecommunications; this investment level now exceeds that of the oil and gas business as well, for the first time in history. The discussion of water thus requires a serious, detailed conversation. It cannot be the sole province of kneejerk responses, but requires good faith, transparent information from data center developers, savvy local political leaders who take the issue seriously, and communities who wish to engage beyond the surface level.