This month’s Global Talent Update covers the growth of data center development in London; the results of Rockwell’s 8th annual State of Smart Manufacturing Study; and the rebounding airline and MRO industries in Latin America.
EMEA
Vantage Data Centers is entering the London market with a 48MW, £500 million ($600 million) data center campus, which is expected to open its doors to hyperspace customers and cloud providers in late 2024. The facility will be powered by the National Grid and cooled by a closed-loop chilled water system. The company has also announced that it has opened a second 40MW data center at its existing Cardiff campus.
“Vantage has experienced rapid growth over the past three years as we continue developing state-of-the-art data center campuses across EMEA,” said Antoine Boniface, president, EMEA at Vantage Data Centers. “With London being one of the largest data center markets in the world, this expansion further solidifies Vantage’s role at the forefront of the digital infrastructure revolution. With relatively little inventory available in London and requirements on the rise, we are ideally positioned to deliver for our customers.”
London, while anticipated to continue developing, has seen some opposition regarding new data center developments in the area. A proposed 600MW data center development in East London has faced opposition from both environmentalists and some councilors, while a London Docklands residential development that was paving the way for a data center was rejected. West London and Slough are facing power and water constraints due to the large and rapid increase in data centers in the area outpacing utilities’ predicted timelines.
Read more at Vantage Data Centers to develop $600 million 48MW campus in London, UK | DCD.
ASIA PACIFIC
A 2023 study conducted by Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), the world’s largest company dedicated to industrial automation and digital transformation, of the State of Smart Manufacturing found that over 45% of Asia-Pacific manufacturers are struggling to outpace their competitors due to a lack of Innovation, a skilled workforce and technology. The 8th annual global study surveyed more than 1,350 manufacturers across 13 of the leading manufacturing countries including Australia, China, India, Japan and the Republic of Korea.
This year’s report revealed a focus on delivering profitable growth without sacrificing quality, an emphasis on accessing data’s true potential, and increasing adoption of technology to build resilience, enable agility, increase sustainability, and address workforce challenges. Key findings show that close to half (44%) of APAC manufacturers plan to adopt smart manufacturing within the next year; China (80%), Australia (60%) and India (59%) are already using some components of smart manufacturing. The biggest barriers to adopting smart manufacturing for APAC manufacturers are employee resistance to technology adoption and change, lack of skill set to manage smart manufacturing implementation, and lack of clear definition of the value/ROI of smart manufacturing. Cybersecurity risks rank highest as the obstacle all respondents are looking to mitigate with smart manufacturing initiatives.
THE AMERICAS
Commercial air traffic in Latin America has nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, and forecasts paint a positive picture for its Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO) industry. However, airlines and MROs in the region still face serious concerns about economic uncertainty, workforce shortages and ongoing supply chain issues.
A recent conference in Buenos Aires saw mostly positive forecast indicators. Alton Aviation Consultancy expects Latin America’s commercial fleet to grow to more than 37,000 aircraft by 2032 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of around 3%, while Aviation Week’s 2023 Commercial Fleet & MRO Forecast expects an even higher CAGR of 5.1% during this period. Aviation Week data further projects that Latin America will generate $55 billion in MRO demand in 2023-32. Alton also predicts that the engine market will grow faster than other MRO segments in the region.
Despite the potential benefits of a near-shoring trend, stakeholders in Latin America remain concerned about supply chain challenges. Within Argentina, operators are particularly concerned, given the country’s geographical distance from the rest of the Americas. With Miami as the closest hub at which to source parts from Europe and the U.S., delays contribute to anxiety. This is further compounded when suppliers cannot rely on promised lead times. Differing customs and paperwork requirements as well as credit issues between various Latin American countries are also challenge areas.
Read more at Latin American MROs Sweat Supply Chain, Workforce Issues | Aviation Week Network.