AI infrastructure drives massive growth in global data center markets

The global data center and structured cabling markets are undergoing significant shifts driven by the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence. According to BSRIA, the global structured cabling market grew 21% in 2025 to $9.08 billion, with the data center segment increasing by 54% due to AI infrastructure investment. Data centers now represent more than 41% of all cabling installed worldwide. The United States dominates this sector, accounting for 69% of the global data center cabling market and driving 89% of the global value increase in 2025.

ABI Research identifies several emerging trends, most notably the rise of ‘neo-clouds’—specialized providers of AI computing resources. The number of neo-cloud data center locations is projected to grow from 696 in 2026 to 2,247 by 2035. Furthermore, AI workloads are expected to surpass traditional workloads in terms of IT power capacity by 2031. While the European market is expected to see a consolidation of hyperscale sites, its total IT power capacity is projected to increase nearly sixfold by 2035. In the sovereign cloud sector, South Korea is noted for its high capacity per capita, driven by domestic data localization policies.