In the last two decades, Singapore and Ireland have taken advantage of their economic openness, geographic location, and educated workforces to become leading locations for data center sectors. This has enabled both to overcome tangible territorial and physical limitations and build resilience. This policy analysis charts the evolution of the data center sectors in both countries. It locates them squarely at the center of their entrepreneurial national strategies that consider data centers as integral to their attempts to overcome the limits of their small domestic economies, and increase competitiveness, efficiency, innovativeness, and resilience. At the same time, this strategy has consumed significant amounts of space, resources, and energy. This has recently raised issues of social trust, energy security, and environmental management.
Photo by Brett Sayles