From 29-30 January 2026, Mr. Wimon Punkong, Deputy Executive Director (Academic) of the International Institute for Trade and Development (ITD), together with a team of researchers, visited Singapore to conduct interviews as part of a study on Establishing and Developing Sustainable Data Centers in Thailand and ASEAN, under the research project “Adaptation Strategies of Thailand and ASEAN to the Global Economic Trends: the Case Studies of the Digital Economy and Green Economy.”

During the visit, the research team met with Mrs. Chonlatee Chanrachakul, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. at the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore, to exchange policy insights, and also held academic discussions with key stakeholders and experts related to Singapore’s Data Center industry, including:

• Centre for Strategic Energy and Resources Limited (CSER) – a think tank and network of experts focused on energy transition.
• Vena Nexus – developer and operator of green data centers, designed to support AI processing.
• Expert contributor of Hinrich Foundation – an organization dedicated to promoting sustainable global trade through research and education.
• Asia-Pacific Data Centre Association (APDCA) – an association that brings together data center operators in the Asia-Pacific to shape policy pathways, engaging governments and stakeholders in the region, represented by the team from ST Telemedia Global Data Centres (STT GDC), one of the major data center service providers in the region.

Currently, ASEAN has emerged as a major destination for Data Center investment, with Singapore serving as the primary hub of the region. The country’s strengths lie in its stable and modern infrastructure, as well as clear regulations and policies that build strong investor confidence. This has positioned Singapore as a model that ASEAN countries can follow to effectively advance their digital infrastructure.

The information and insights gained from these interviews mark an important step in building knowledge and policy directions. They will enable Thailand and ASEAN to harness opportunities from the digital economy while simultaneously fostering a sustainable future through the green economy. This also supports the integration of digital transformation with environmental sustainability via key industries such as the Data Center sector.