Aboitiz unit, EdgeConnex to develop data center platform
ABOITIZ InfraCapital, Inc. (AIC) has partnered with EdgeConneX to address the rising data usage by developing a data center platform in the country.
AIC, the infrastructure arm of the Aboitiz group, said in a press release on Wednesday that it plans to develop the data center in the National Capital Region. It also targets developing a secondary “hyperscale” campus in the so-called greater Manila area.
It described EdgeConnex as a global provider of full-range sustainable data center solutions.
“Businesses are increasingly turning to cloud service providers — or ‘hyperscalers’ — for cost efficiency, flexibility, and scalability; and thus, the need for data centers has never been more demanding,” Sabin M. Aboitiz, president and chief executive officer of Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. (AEV), said.
Hyperscale data centers are business-critical facilities designed to support robust, scalable applications of cloud service providers, AIC said.
“This is complemented by AIC’s local expertise, assets, and infrastructure portfolio, including its 1,400 hectares of prime industrial real estate and its affiliate AboitizPower’s diversified renewable energy capacity, which the company aims to triple by 2030,” it said.
AIC President and Chief Executive Officer Cosette V. Canilao said the partnership would boost the country’s infrastructure ecosystem and serve the local market demand.
“The Philippines is an underserved market, and is witnessing high data demand growth relative to Southeast Asia. The market size, favorable demographics, and proliferation of subsea cables make the Philippines an ideal destination for data center investments,” Ms. Canilao said.
In 2021, AIC entered the digital infrastructure sector through a joint venture with Unity Digital Infrastructure, Inc.
On Wednesday, shares in AEV closed 1.97% higher to finish at P56.90 apiece. — Ashley Erika O. Jose
