At infra/STRUCTURE Summit 2025, industry leaders from Inflect, NTT and NextDC explored how AI is accelerating development timelines, reshaping deal structures, and redrawing the global data center map.

The infra/STRUCTURE Summit 2025, held at The Wynn Las Vegas from October 15–16, 2025 convened the brightest minds in digital infrastructure to explore the seismic shifts underway in the age of artificial intelligence. Among the most forward-looking sessions was “AI Impact on Global Market Expansion Patterns,” a discussion that unpacked how AI is transforming where and how data centers are developed, financed, and operated worldwide.

Moderated by Swapna Subramani, Research Director, IMEA, for Structure Research, the panel featured leading executives including Mike Nguyen, CEO, Inflect; Steve Lim, SVP, Marketing & GTM, NTT Global Data Centers; Craig Scroggie, CEO and Managing Director, NEXTDC. Together, they examined how the explosive demand for AI compute power is pushing developers to rethink long-held assumptions about geography, energy, and risk.

AI Is Rewriting the Rules of Global Expansion

For decades, site selection decisions revolved around a handful of core variables: power cost, connectivity, and proximity to major user populations. But in 2025, those rules are being rewritten by the unprecedented scale of AI workloads.

Regions once considered secondary are suddenly front-runners. Scroggie noted how saturation in markets like Singapore and Hong Kong has forced expansion across Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, each now racing to deliver power, land, and permitting capacity fast enough to attract global hyperscalers.

“You can’t build large campuses in Singapore anymore,” Scroggie said. “But throughout Southeast Asia, we’re seeing rapid acceleration as operators balance scale, sustainability, and access to emerging population centers.”

The panelists agreed that energy constraints, not capital, are now the primary limiting factor. “The short term is about finding locations where power exists at scale,” explained Scroggie. “The longer-term challenge is developing new storage and generation models to make that power sustainable.”

Geopolitics and Sovereignty Are Shaping Investment

AI’s global reach has also brought geopolitics and national sovereignty to the forefront of infrastructure strategy.

“We’re living in more challenging times than ever before,” said Nguyen, referencing chip export restrictions and international trade interventions. “AI is no longer just a technological conversation, it’s a matter of national defense and economic competitiveness.”

He noted that ongoing trade restrictions with China are reshaping who gets access to advanced chips and where they can be deployed. “The combination of geopolitical and local legislative pressures determines the future of global trade management,” Nguyen said.

As countries strengthen data sovereignty and privacy laws, regional differentiation is intensifying. “Every geography has a different view,” Nguyen continued. “Some nations are creating frameworks to enable AI and cross-border data sharing, others are locking down their ecosystems entirely.”

Scroggie echoed this, adding that sovereignty-driven strategies are driving a surge in localized buildouts. “We’re seeing more countries push to ensure domestic control of digital assets,” he said. “That’s changing the structure of global supply chains and creating ripple effects that extend well beyond national borders.”

The Industry’s Race Against Time

The conversation turned toward construction velocity, a challenge every developer feels acutely.

“Are we building fast enough?” Subramani, the moderator of the conversation asked.

“Simply put, no,” said Scroggie. “We can’t keep up with demand. Traditional 12-to-24-month build cycles no longer align with AI’s acceleration curve. We have to find a way to build differently.”

The group discussed the need for new modular construction methods, accelerated permitting, and AI-assisted project management to meet scale and speed requirements.

Nguyen framed it within the broader context of industrial history. “We are standing at the dawn of the next industrial revolution,” he said. “Just as steam, electricity, and the internet reshaped economies, AI will redefine global competitiveness. The countries that can deliver sustainable, affordable power will lead.”

He pointed to the “Jacquard Paradox” of AI infrastructure: the more intelligence we produce, the cheaper it becomes, and the more of it the world demands. “The hallmark of global competitiveness will be the unit cost of producing intelligence,” Nguyen explained. “That requires deep collaboration between developers, energy providers, and governments.”

Evolving Deal Structures Reflect a More Complex Market

The financial framework of data center development is also changing dramatically. Traditional “build-to-suit” models are giving way to more creative, multi-tiered partnerships as both hyperscalers and institutional investors seek flexibility and risk mitigation.

“There’s a diversity of players now entering the market, some with deep operational experience, others completely new to the space,” said Scroggie. “Everyone’s chasing the same megawatts, but their risk tolerance and credit profiles vary widely.”

Scroggie also described how education and transparency have become critical. “We’re constantly advising clients on what’s feasible and what’s not. Many are coming in with unrealistic expectations about speed, power, or pricing. It’s part of our job to bridge that gap.”

The consensus was clear: AI-driven demand has transformed data centers from real estate assets into strategic infrastructure platforms, with financial, political, and environmental implications far beyond the industry itself.

Looking Ahead: The Next Decade of AI-Driven Infrastructure

As the discussion drew to a close, the panelists reflected on the extraordinary pace of change. “AI is not replacing, it’s additive,” said Scroggie. “Every new workload, every new inference model adds demand. The scale we’re dealing with is unprecedented.”

In this new era, speed, sustainability, and sovereignty are the defining dimensions of competitiveness. The industry’s success will hinge on its ability to innovate faster than the challenges it faces, whether those are regulatory, environmental, or geopolitical.

“We’re building the highways of the digital era,” said Nguyen in closing. “And like every industrial revolution before it, those who solve the energy equation will lead the world.”

Infra/STRUCTURE 2026: Save the Date

Want to tune in live, received all presentations, gain access to C-level executives, investors and industry leading research? Then save the date for infra/STRUCTURE 2026 set for October 7-8, 2026 at The Wynn Las Vegas.  Pre-Registration for the 2026 event is now open, and you can visit www.infrastructuresummit.io to learn more.

The post AI’s Impact on Global Market Expansion Patterns: How Artificial Intelligence Is Redefining the Future of Global Infrastructure appeared first on Data Center POST.

Insights from RBC Capital Markets, Compass Datacenters, and TD Securities

Understanding the Investment Landscape in a New Era of AI

The infra/STRUCTURE Summit 2025, held October 15–16 at the Wynn Las Vegas, brought together the world’s leading voices in digital infrastructure to explore the industry’s rapid transformation. Among the standout sessions was Investment Perspectives, where experts discussed how artificial intelligence (AI), energy constraints, and capital strategy are reshaping investment decisions and the future of data center development.

Moderated by Jonathan Atkin, Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets, the panel featured Jonathan Schildkraut, Chief Investment Officer at Compass Datacenters, and Colby Synesael, Managing Director at TD Securities. Together, they provided clear insights into the trends influencing where, why, and how capital is being deployed in the infrastructure sector today.

The Shifting Demand Curve: How AI is Driving Data Center Growth

Jonathan Schildkraut opened the discussion by outlining the four primary workloads fueling infrastructure demand: AI training, AI inference, cloud, and social media. He described these workloads as the engines of growth for the sector, emphasizing that most are revenue-generating. “Three of those four buckets are cash registers,” Schildkraut said. “We’re really seeing those revenue-generating workloads accelerating.”

Colby Synesael added that the balance between AI training and inference is shifting quickly. “A year ago, roughly 75% of AI activity was training and 25% inference,” Synesael explained. “In five years, that ratio could reverse. A lot of inferencing will occur near where applications are used, which changes how we think about data center deployment.” Their remarks highlighted a clear message: AI continues to be the dominant force shaping infrastructure demand, but its evolution is redefining both scale and location.

Market Expansion and Power Constraints 

As Tier 1 data center markets face mounting limitations in available land and energy, both Schildkraut and Atkin noted the increasing strategic importance of Tier 2 and Tier 3 regions. Schildkraut cited examples such as Alabama, Georgia, and Texas, which are emerging as viable alternatives due to improved fiber connectivity and more favorable power economics.

Capital Strategy and Facility Adaptability:Investing for the Long Term

The conversation also delved into how investors are evaluating opportunities in an environment of high demand and rapid technological change. Schildkraut explained that access to capital today depends on two critical factors: tenant quality and facility adaptability. “Investors want to know that the tenant and the workload will be there for the long term,” Schildkraut said. “They also care deeply about whether the facility can evolve with future technologies.”

To illustrate this, Schildkraut described Compass Datacenters’ initiative to upgrade power densities, increasing capacity from 6–7 kilowatts per rack to hybrid systems capable of supporting up to 30 kilowatts. This investment is designed to ensure readiness for the next generation of high performance computing and AI workloads. These types of forward looking strategies are helping operators and investors manage both risk and opportunity in an increasingly complex market.

Globalization and Policy Influence 

When the conversation turned to global trends, Schildkraut predicted that AI infrastructure deployment will expand worldwide but at uneven rates. “Availability of power and land isn’t uniform,” he said. “Government incentives will play a critical role in determining which markets can scale.”

Synesael agreed, adding that regions lacking modern AI infrastructure could face growing disadvantages. “Over the next several years, not having this infrastructure in your country or region will become a major constraint on innovation,” Syneasel said. Their perspectives reinforced that infrastructure development is no longer just a commercial priority, it is also a matter of national competitiveness.

A Market Redefined by Technology and Energy

The discussion revealed that the digital infrastructure market is entering a new phase defined by the convergence of AI driven workloads, energy constraints, and strategic capital deployment. As inference workloads expand, Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets rise in importance, and investors prioritize long-term flexibility, the industry’s success will depend on adaptability and foresight. The session made it clear that data centers are no longer just real estate, they are foundational assets powering the next wave of global innovation.

Infra/STRUCTURE 2026: Save the Date

Want to tune in live, receive all presentations, gain access to C-level executives, investors and industry leading research? Then save the date for infra/STRUCTURE 2026 set for October 7-8, 2026 at The Wynn Las Vegas. Pre-Registration for the 2026 event is now open, and you can visit www.infrastructuresummit.io to learn more.

The post Investment Perspectives: Navigating the Future of Digital Infrastructure appeared first on Data Center POST.