Malaysia has become one of Asia Pacific’s leading data centre markets. Its location, connectivity, skilled workforce and government support for the digital economy have driven that growth.
Bridge Data Centres (BDC) builds and runs hyperscale data centres, large-scale computing facilities that power AI and digital services, across the country. Its growth in Malaysia creates value for local businesses, spurs innovation in developing new technology and cleaner energy solutions, as well as creates high-skilled jobs.
Value that stays local
Out of BDC’s supply chain across its global platform, Malaysian suppliers make up the largest share in any market BDC operates in, around 44%, of the firms BDC engaged in 2025. This means the majority of what BDC spends on engineering, construction, facilities management, technology and sustainability services goes to Malaysian businesses. BDC is committed to empowering Malaysia’s digital economy by investing in the country’s technical capabilities. BDC’s advanced campus developments create opportunities across logistics, energy and specialist technical services. It is how BDC fuels Malaysia’s growth by creating higher-value careers, developing local suppliers, and strengthening Malaysia’s technical ecosystem, all of which help the country capture more of the digital economy’s investment, talent and supply-chain value.
BDC is also investing in the pipeline behind that number. In 2026, BDC became a strategic corporate partner in BLAST, Invest Selangor’s Business Linkages and Advancement Programme. BLAST is a strategic SME capability development and business linkage initiative by Invest Selangor Berhad, with the support of the Malaysian Technology Development Corporation (MTDC). The programme is designed to strengthen the capabilities and competitiveness of Selangor-based SMEs through structured development support. It also helps SMEs access new business opportunities by connecting them with new and existing investors or companies in Selangor while maximising investment spillover for the local economy.
Driving innovation in sustainability
Johor has one of the highest concentration of data centres in Malaysia. Amidst concerns over unpredictable weather that could potentially bring prolonged periods of drought and pressure on local water resources, there has been increasing scrutiny on data centres as they require significant amounts of water for cooling purposes.
BDC had made water management a core consideration in the design of its MY07 campus in Ulu Tiram, embedding it into the project from the earliest planning stages. Protecting the water resources that communities depend on was fundamental to that approach, reflecting BDC’s commitment to growing responsibly in Malaysia.
The result is Malaysia’s first large-scale Water Treatment Plant situated within a data centre facility.
Since commencing operations in 2025, the Water Treatment Plant has been significantly reducing reliance on potable water by up to 40%. It also enables BDC to decouple its data centre operations from community water supply and supports Johor’s broader environmental agenda. The facility is a model that holds significant potential for replication across the region. As Malaysia’s digital economy grows, projects like this position the country as a model for sustainability and innovation in the region, one where hyperscale investment strengthens rather than strains the resources communities depend on. BDC’s approach shows how responsible growth and water security can advance together.
BDC had collaborated with Suntar Membrane Technology Sdn Bhd (Suntar Malaysia), a leading water treatment technology and EPCC solutions provider. The project was designed in full compliance with guidelines issued by the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), and BDC worked closely with regulatory agencies, Johor Special Water (JSW), IWK and Permodalan Darul Ta’zim (PDT) throughout the planning and execution phases. Together, these collaborations show how local partnerships, spanning engineering, regulation and infrastructure, can pioneer sustainability solutions built in Malaysia, for Malaysia.
“Our Water Treatment Plant project reflects our glocal strategy at work,” said Eric Fan, Chief Executive Officer of Bridge Data Centres. “Managing MY07’s water consumption at the source was a priority from the outset, and Suntar Malaysia helped us deliver a solution built around our exact requirements. Working with the right team in Malaysia turned our commitment to sustainability into practical infrastructure. This is how we intend to continue building Malaysia’s capabilities in digital infrastructure and lowering our impact for the local environment.”
“BDC gave us the opportunity to apply our expertise to address a pressing environmental challenge in the region,” said Dr Lan Yihong, Executive Director of Suntar International Group. “Our engineers worked closely with BDC’s team to meet their exact requirements. Contributing to Malaysia’s first data centre-integrated Water Treatment Plant is a result we are proud to have built in Malaysia, for Malaysia.”
MY07 has since gone on to become one of BDC’s several award-winning projects. More than 200 local high-value, skilled jobs in engineering, IT and operations have been created as part of the campus’s development. “BDC’s vision for Malaysia extends beyond any single project. Each campus is a chance to build local capability step by step, equip the Malaysian workforce with skills for advanced infrastructure roles, and strengthen the country’s standing in a technology-driven global economy,” said Eric.
Leading water stewardship
The same approach carries through elsewhere in BDC’s Malaysia footprint. At MY06 in Sedenak Tech Park, rainwater harvesting systems save roughly 1,340 m³ of water a year. In addition, drainage optimisation on the campus’s cooling towers cut cooling tower water consumption by around 16,000 m³ in 2025. These savings ease pressure on a resource shared with the surrounding community, a commitment BDC carries into every campus it builds in Malaysia and across the region. Protecting water at each site is part of what it takes to grow the country’s digital economy sustainably.
Moving ahead with Malaysia
Each of these projects reflects the same principle: BDC builds infrastructure shaped by the country it operates in. The result is a track record grounded in Malaysian expertise and Malaysian conditions, one that supports the country’s ambitions to become a regional hub for technology and innovation.
Find out more about BDC’s work in Malaysia here.
In our next article, we meet some of the talented people at BDC Malaysia driving their country’s digital growth.