APAC operator Evolution Data Centers has partnered with HTC International Telecommunication JSC (HITC) to develop data centers in Vietnam.

The companies this week announced that they have established a joint venture to develop large-scale hyperscale and AI sites in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

EcoDC Data Centre (Hanoi) will be an expansion of HITC's existing facility in the Hoa Lac Hi-Tech Park. The Ho Chi Minh City development will be a new, large-scale hyperscale data center designed to “meet the surging hyperscale and AI demand in southern Vietnam.”

Further details on the planned developments weren't shared.

Darren Webb, CEO of Evolution Data Centres, said: “Vietnam is one of Southeast Asia’s fastest-growing digital markets. We are delighted to partner with HITC to deliver world-class, sustainable data centers that support this dynamic economy. Through this market entry, Evolution will be one of the first international data center operators active in Vietnam, and the only one with projects in both major economic hubs, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This North-to-South strategy ensures we can support customer demand as it scales nationwide.”

Nguyễn Hoàng Dương, vice chairman of HITC, added: “With this joint venture, HITC Telecom becomes one of the first telecom infrastructure companies in Vietnam to welcome an international strategic investor in the data center sector. Partnering with Evolution Data Centres is a strategic step by HITC in strengthening our infrastructure capabilities and expand our data center ecosystem in Vietnam. With Evolution’s international expertise and HITC’s strong local infrastructure and market knowledge, we believe this joint venture will establish a new benchmark for sustainable digital infrastructure development in Vietnam.”

Founded in 2021 and headquartered in Singapore, Evolution received backing from Warburg Pincus in 2022. Zero Two, a division of the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund, has also invested in the firm.

The company has projects in development in the Philippines (69MW), and Thailand (52MW); both are due live next year. The company has previously noted plans to target Vietnam.

HITC is part of the HTC Telecom Group (aka Hanoi Telecom). The five-story EcoDC is located on 4.47 hectares west of Hanoi, offering capacity for 900 racks across 3,000 sqm (32,291 sq ft).

Vietnam is a growing data center market. It relaxed its laws regarding foreign ownership of data centers in July 2024, removing the 49 percent foreign ownership cap.

As well as a number of local telecoms operators, other operators around Ho Chi Minh include STT GDC, Edge Centres, Gaw, NTT, VNG, True IDC, and CMC. The likes of Telehouse, NTT, FPT, CMC, VNPT, and Viettel are also present in Hanoi.

Index Partners acted as financial adviser to HITC. Baker McKenzie acted as legal adviser to Evolution, and Venture North Law acted as legal adviser to HITC.