Peru positioned as strategic partner for US$6.7 billion data center market

Global investment in data center infrastructure is projected to reach US$6.7 billion by 2030, driven largely by the expansion of artificial intelligence. According to estimates from McKinsey, US$5.2 billion of this total will be dedicated to AI processing, while US$1.5 billion will support conventional processing loads.

During a presentation at the Institute of Mining Engineers of Peru (IIMP), Harvard Senior Fellow Vinio Floris highlighted that Peru is positioned to become a strategic partner in this digital economy. He noted that the massive scale of data center development will require significant physical resources, including electrical systems, cooling infrastructure, and vast quantities of minerals such as copper, steel, aluminum, and semiconductors.

Floris emphasized the intrinsic link between the digital and extractive economies, stating, “The cloud is not immaterial. Without mining, there is no AI.” He suggested that mineral-producing nations face the challenge of exploring strategic resources and adding value to their exports to capitalize on this technological wave.