TOKYO — Singapore’s Keppel, Thailand’s Amata and other companies involved in artificial intelligence investments will drive the Asian economy in 2025, market watchers across the region told Nikkei.

Data center investment is a “key area of growth as the region emerges as a hub for digital infrastructure,” said Luke Lim, managing director at Singapore’s Phillip Securities. American and Chinese technology companies like Google and Alibaba Group Holding raced to build and expand data centers in Southeast Asia in 2024 — a trend seen creating new opportunities for local players in 2025.