SINGAPORE, 26 October 2026 – The Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) has launched a new white paper titled Maximising the Data Centre Opportunity — A Playbook for Policymakers, setting out practical steps governments can take to support sustainable data centre investment and strengthen the digital infrastructure needed for continued economic growth.

As governments across Asia-Pacific pursue their AI and digital economy ambitions, data centres are becoming an increasingly important part of national infrastructure. Maximising this opportunity means capturing the economic and social benefits of data centre investment while navigating infrastructure and resource constraints, including access to power, water, land and connectivity. The policy choices governments make today — from anticipating future demand and planning energy and water infrastructure, to creating predictable investment frameworks, developing skills and building public confidence — will shape both where investment flows and the wider value it delivers to economies and communities.

Drawing on the experience of APDCA members and policy approaches from across Asia-Pacific and globally, the Playbook sets out 10 practical policy steps under a three-pillar framework:

• Plan: Build the evidence base and coordination needed to plan ahead of demand.

• Provision: Create the conditions for investment through efficient approvals, reliable infrastructure and supportive policy.

• Partner: Work with industry and communities to build capabilities, trust and long-term value.

Each step draws on practical examples from markets that have already faced similar challenges and includes questions policymakers can use to assess their own priorities. The aim is to help policymakers support data centre growth in ways that are aligned with local infrastructure capacity and resource conditions, and deliver lasting economic and community benefits. The framework is designed to be adapted to different stages of market development – from establishing the foundations for investment, to enabling and managing rapid growth, and ultimately optimising for long-term value.

"Governments across the region have told us they want practical examples, not just principles. This playbook is our response: ten policy steps across Plan, Provision and Partner, drawn from the experience of operators that build and run data centres in many markets. We look forward to working with governments to apply it, so that data centre growth delivers lasting benefits for economies and communities,” said Jeremy Deutsch, Chair of the APDCA.

The full white paper is now available on the APDCA website.