Why data centres are becoming an infrastructure asset class

Once viewed as specialist technology facilities, data centres are increasingly becoming essential infrastructure. Rising demand for cloud computing and AI is turning them into a long-term asset class for investors.

ET&A Research · 24 July 2026

Save
Why data centres are becoming an infrastructure asset class

Data centres were once viewed mainly as specialist real estate: large buildings filled with servers, leased to technology companies, cloud providers, and enterprises. That view is now changing. As artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital payments, streaming, cybersecurity, and enterprise software become more central to the global economy, data centres are increasingly being treated as critical infrastructure.

Insight research

Continue reading with a subscription

Insight members get deeper company research, sector analysis and premium market commentary. Or buy just this report.

More in Technology & Infrastructure

Electricity Is Becoming the World's Most Important Industrial Advantage
INSIGHTTechnology & InfrastructureInsight

Electricity Is Becoming the World's Most Important Industrial Advantage

The last era of globalisation was shaped by cheap labour. The next could be shaped by cheap electrons. As AI, semiconductors, electric vehicles and advanced manufacturing consume extraordinary amounts of power, the countries able to provide abundant, reliable and inexpensive electricity may acquire one of the most important economic advantages of the next decade.

A. Francis Ugbabe · 29 September 2026 · 14 min read

Nvidia Is No Longer Just a Chip Company
INSIGHTTechnology & InfrastructureInsight

Nvidia Is No Longer Just a Chip Company

Nvidia’s $13 billion acquisition of Hugging Face is the latest sign that Jensen Huang’s ambitions extend far beyond selling GPUs. Nvidia is gradually assembling almost every layer of the artificial-intelligence infrastructure stack. The question for investors is whether it is becoming the operating platform for the AI economy and whether that makes its extraordinary valuation more defensible.

ET&A Research · 7 September 2026 · 12 min read