As we celebrate International Data Centre Day 2025 this month, every day we are reminded of the imperceptible, yet indispensable role data centres play in powering innovations that define our modern lives, both in business and as consumers.
These facilities, which are very much hidden to the outside world, are far more than warehouses filled with servers and cables; data centres are the highly secure backbone of countless advancements, including AI-powered solutions that enhance our daily experiences. From accelerating breakthroughs in life sciences to facilitating lightning-fast financial transactions, data centres remain pivotal to driving the development of smart cities and turning the promise of emerging technologies like AI into reality.
The use of AI and cloud computing will double demand for new data centres, with a recent JLL report on economic drivers for commercial real estate forecasting that an extra 175 new data centres will be needed in Australia by 2030. According to JLL, the demand is also due to the increasing connectivity of Australians, with the number of connected devices in a home set to double by 2030.
Today’s economy thrives on speed, scale, and intelligence. The surge in generative AI, real-time analytics, and hyperconnectivity is not only reshaping industries but redefining how we live, work, and tackle global challenges. Data centres are at the heart of this transformation, serving as the engines that process, store, and secure the data fueling progress. This is why the data centre industry is experiencing unprecedented growth, with US$734 billion in investments announced in 2024 and 2025 across 20 leading data centre companies.
With this growth comes a significant rise in demand for talent, with a 36% year-over-year increase in the need for data centre skills since 2024. Labor scarcity remains a critical issue and will be stretched further because of the expected growth in new data centres. As such, only by nurturing the next generation of data centre professionals, can we secure the skills necessary to build resilient infrastructures that will support the challenges of tomorrow.
The data centre industry stands at the forefront of the digital revolution, which is why we continue to see these facilities attractive to investors around the world and here in Australia as an important asset class.
At Equinix, we will continue to expand our data centre footprint sustainably and are committed to ushering in a new generation of data centre employees to help keep the world connected. Together, we are shaping a future that harnesses technology for the greater good, laying the foundation for shared progress.