The figures represent one of the strongest half-year growth periods on record, as hyperscale data centre operators, cloud service providers, and AI platforms expedite infrastructure investment across the region.

The “APAC Data Centre H1 2026 Update” report by Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK), one of the world’s largest commercial real estate services firms, with more than 350 offices across nearly 60 countries, including Viet Nam, indicates that total future supply currently comprises 4.8GW under construction and 21.7GW in the planning stage. At the same time, around 1.4GW of new operational capacity has been brought online across APAC, underscoring the market’s ability to deliver large-scale capacity to meet rapidly growing demand for digital infrastructure.

Despite the significant addition of new supply, the vacancy rate for colocation data centres declined from 10.9% in the second half of 2025 to 10.3% in the first half of 2026. This underscores strong absorption in key markets and steady demand for leased capacity as supply continues to expand.

Commenting on the situation, Andrew Green, Head of Data Centre Group, Asia Pacific at Cushman & Wakefield, said investment in AI and cloud computing across the Asia-Pacific region had entered a period of rapid acceleration, but remained constrained by access to power.

“The challenge increasingly centres on securing the power infrastructure needed to support the next generation of AI workloads. Data centres were traditionally concentrated in areas with strong connectivity, but we now observe an expansion wave shifting towards markets capable of supplying power at scale. This is forges new growth corridors across the region and propelling investment beyond traditional data centre hubs,” Andrew Green said.

According to the report, Southeast Asia continues to account for the largest share of data centre capacity under construction in APAC, representing around 50% of the region’s total. Malaysia leads with 1,039 megawatts (MW) under construction, followed by Thailand with 859MW. Strong leasing demand, supportive government policies, and continued capital flows into digital infrastructure have fortified Southeast Asia’s role as a key growth engine for the Asia-Pacific data centre industry.

At the same time, Viet Nam is drawing mounting interest from hyperscale, cloud computing, and AI operators. In Ho Chi Minh City, future supply reached 68MW in the first half of 2026, bolstered by a series of major investment announcements, including a 1 billion USD framework agreement between G42, FPT Corporation, and Viet Thai Group, as well as a proposed 2 billion USD hyperscale AI data centre project. Much of the region’s growth momentum is concentrated in Johor, Malaysia, and Bangkok, Thailand. Capacity under construction in Johor nearly doubled to 602MW in the first half of 2026, while Bangkok registered one of the fastest rates of expansion in APAC, with capacity under construction rising 148% to 859MW.

Notably, Viet Nam is also gradually fortifying its position in the region’s digital infrastructure ecosystem through policy reforms, increased foreign investment, and improved connectivity, including projects such as the MViSTA submarine fibre-optic cable connecting Viet Nam with Singapore, Johor, and Thailand.

Alongside capacity growth, the report also indicates that data centre development strategies across Asia-Pacific are evolving. As infrastructure requirements become increasingly complex, developers are placing greater emphasis on speed of deployment, operational efficiency, sustainability, and long-term scalability.

Addressing this issue, Pritesh Swamy, Head of Research and Consulting, Asia Pacific Data Centre Group at Cushman & Wakefield, said: “We observe developers advancing beyond traditional data centre design models as infrastructure requirements become increasingly demanding.”

Accordingly, in most markets, the speed at which projects can be brought to market emerges as a decisive factor. Modular construction methods and advanced cooling technologies empower operators to optimise existing infrastructure while shortening deployment times. As computing density continues to rise, operators are also placing greater emphasis on resource efficiency and long-term sustainability, including how power and water resources are managed as infrastructure expands.