Dominic Jainy brings a profound understanding of how hyperscale infrastructure supports the burgeoning demands of artificial intelligence and cloud computing. With a background in machine learning and blockchain, he provides unique insights into the strategic shifts occurring within the Chinese digital landscape, particularly as major players commit billions to specialized, high-density environments. This conversation explores the technical and economic implications of the massive $600 million development in Foshan and the broader vision for the Greater Bay Area’s digital future.
With the recent launch of a $600 million investment into a 200MW campus in Foshan, how do you see this scale of infrastructure shifting the competitive landscape in the Greater Bay Area?
This investment represents a seismic shift for Foshan, transitioning it from a secondary market into a central pillar of the Greater Bay Area’s digital economy. By committing $600 million to a 200MW campus, the project is essentially building the foundation for the next decade of AI-driven growth for hyperscale partners. You can almost feel the speed of this development; the use of modular construction and prefabricated components allows for delivery in as little as four months, which is incredibly fast for infrastructure of this magnitude. This isn’t just about floor space; it’s about high-density power delivery, with hybrid liquid and air cooling systems designed to handle an impressive 140kW per rack, ensuring the site can support the most demanding AI workloads.
Given the decision to divest international business units and double down on the local market, what does the current momentum tell us about the long-term potential of the regional data center industry?
Selling off an international business unit for $3.7 billion was a bold, strategic pivot that signals immense confidence in the local ecosystem’s long-term viability. It allows for a sharpened focus on a massive domestic footprint that already includes 20 operational or under-development sites totaling 1.4GW of IT capacity. We are seeing a more integrated approach where infrastructure development, energy integration, and capital management work in unison to provide a differentiated platform for the AI era. This specialization is further evidenced by strategic cooperation in areas like Ulanqab for multi-GW hyperscale projects, showing that the industry isn’t just looking at established hubs like Shanghai or Beijing, but is expanding into the interior to secure the power and space needed for the future.
How is the shift toward purpose-built, liquid-cooled facilities changing the way investors and developers approach capital management in the digital sector?
The move toward purpose-built facilities for unnamed “Internet and cloud services companies” reflects a shift from speculative building to deep, partnership-based development. When you are designing for liquid-cooled densities of 140kW per rack, the capital requirements are intense, but the lasting value created in the digital economy is much higher than traditional retail colocation. Closing a first digital infrastructure-focused fund in April 2025 provided the necessary proceeds to acquire and develop these sophisticated assets, ensuring that investors are backing technology that won’t be obsolete in three years. This end-to-end support model helps customers deploy faster and scale more efficiently, which is the primary metric for success in today’s market.
What is your forecast for the evolution of high-density cooling and modular construction in this region?
I expect that liquid cooling will transition from a specialized niche to the standard requirement for all new hyperscale builds within the next few years. As AI models grow in complexity, the heat generated by high-performance chips will necessitate the high-density cooling we are seeing in Foshan across the entire industry to prevent thermal throttling. Furthermore, the success of prefabricated modular techniques will likely halve traditional construction timelines, making rapid deployment the primary competitive advantage for property investors. This synergy between energy-efficient cooling and lightning-fast delivery will define which players dominate the digital infrastructure market through the late 2020s.