Winning the Next Wave of Data Center Growth

Data center infrastructure is entering a new phase of expansion as AI workloads accelerate, capacity shifts across regions, and power, cooling, networking, storage, and supply chain constraints influence where and how new cloud infrastructure can be deployed.

This whitepaper from ABI Research examines 11 trends shaping the next generation of data centers. Drawing on 2026 syndicated research, it explores changes in regional capacity, hyperscaler and colocation strategies, the rapid rise of neoclouds, sovereign cloud investment, AI infrastructure requirements, and emerging opportunities across the technology ecosystem.

Topics Covered

• Data Center Expansion: How regional footprints and capacity are expected to evolve through 2035
• AI Infrastructure: Why AI workloads are forecast to become the primary driver of data center expansion
• Operator Dynamics: The roles of hyperscalers, colocation providers, and fast-growing neocloud operators
• Sovereign Cloud: How digital sovereignty and localized infrastructure are reshaping regional opportunities
• Networking and Storage: Optical networking, memory, storage, and advanced packaging constraints affecting AI scale
• Emerging Infrastructure Models: Higher-density European hyperscale facilities and the developing orbital data center market
• Power and Cooling: Microgrids, on-site energy, small modular reactors, hybrid cooling, and reference designs for AI facilities

Download the whitepaper to explore the 11 strategic priorities shaping data center growth and the infrastructure opportunities emerging as AI demand, sovereign requirements, and technical constraints transform the market.