In April 2025, Sumitomo Corporation and SBI Holdings announced that a Vietnamese company AI-Specialized Data Center Business It has been revealed that they will jointly invest in the company.
Against the backdrop of the rapid spread of generative AI, Demand for AI infrastructure surges across Southeast Asia The movement to build a full-fledged "regional core base" by Japan is in full swing.
This project is not just about infrastructure development. Key to accelerating the growth of AI-driven industries within ASEAN It has the potential to be.
Why Vietnam was chosen as the new location for AI data centers
The location of the new data center is said to be in close proximity to an industrial cluster in southern Vietnam, and the following conditions are met:
- The quality of the workforce and telecommunications infrastructure is relatively high.
- The government's AI strategy and foreign capital attraction are underway
- Positive response to green power such as renewable energy
Against this backdrop, the country has been an attractive candidate for investors aiming to become ASEAN's AI processing hub.
Sumitomo Corporation and SBI's Intention to Invest|Synergies of AI Investment by Financial × Trading Companies
The significance of this investment is not limited to mere overseas infrastructure investment.
Sumitomo Corporation leverages its wealth of knowledge in the fields of energy and logistics infrastructure. Facility operation and power supply network development Also involved. SBI is looking at the integration of data processing and financial services. Developing new businesses using AI We are looking for.
What the two companies have in common is " AI-Centered Growth Strategy in the ASEAN Region It is.
Rapid expansion of infrastructure demand brought about by the generative AI boom
With the spread of generative AI such as ChatGPT, Dedicated GPU, low-latency network, cooling mechanism There is an urgent need to develop a data center with this equipment.
In ASEAN in particular, the following demand is growing:
- Introduction of AI for education, translation, administrative procedures, etc.
- Real-time AI processing in the fields of e-commerce, fintech, and healthcare
- National AI strategies (e.g., Singapore, Indonesia, Vietnam) are underway
In the midst of this trend, Japan teams are joining hands with local partners The significance of early entry is great It can be said.
Will it build an AI ecosystem originating in the region?
The data center business also has the following future visions:
- Collaboration with AI-related startups in Vietnam
- AI human resource development in collaboration with universities and research institutes in Japan
- Collectively responsible for generative AI processing from Southeast Asia ** "Data relay base" **
This makes it more than just an IT infrastructure. A catalyst that promotes the sophistication of the industrial structure itself There is a possibility that it will be.
Summary|Is it a stepping stone for "AI infrastructure export from Japan"?
This investment by Sumitomo Corporation and SBI is as follows: Export of AI infrastructure from Japan It is also noted as a forerunner of.
What role should Japan play in the global race to develop generative AI infrastructure, including India, the Middle East, and Africa?
This initiative may be one concrete answer to that question.
