The Johor Interconnect Forum 2025 is the premier gathering for industry leaders, policymakers, and technology innovators, dedicated to shaping the future of connectivity and telecommunications in Johor and the broader Southeast Asian region.
As digital transformation accelerates, Johor is rapidly positioning itself as a pivotal hub for interconnectivity, powered by its strategic location, robust infrastructure, and surging investments in data centers, fiber networks, and cross-border digital ecosystems. With the region’s demand for seamless, high-speed, and scalable connectivity at an all-time high, this forum provides an unparalleled platform to explore the latest trends, engage in high-impact discussions, and forge strategic partnerships that will define the next phase of digital infrastructure development.
Attendees will gain exclusive insights from key decision-makers, global tech leaders, and industry disruptors, tackling critical topics such as advanced infrastructure, AI-driven connectivity solutions, sustainability, and the future of cross-border digital trade. Whether you’re looking to stay ahead of emerging industry shifts, connect with influential stakeholders, or explore business opportunities in the evolving interconnectivity landscape, this is the must-attend event of 2025.
In this opening address, YB Tuan Lee Ting Han, Chairman of Johor’s State Committee for Investment, Trade, and Human Resources, will outline Johor’s transformative role in shaping Southeast Asia’s digital future. Against the backdrop of rapid AI adoption, cloud expansion, and cross-border connectivity, he will position Johor as a critical node in the SIJORI Growth Triangle—leveraging its strategic location, robust infrastructure, and the newly launched Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) to attract global hyperscale, data center, and network investments.
Addressing:
• The role of hyperscalers, GPUaaS, and AI infrastructure in Johor’s growth
• Cross-border connectivity with Singapore and its implications for latency and traffic routing
• The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ): what opportunities will it unlock?
• Risks, regulatory hurdles, and long-term competitiveness in the region
Despite its rapid growth in data center and digital infrastructure investments, Johor still relies heavily on Singapore for core network connectivity. As demand for low-latency, high-capacity links surges—driven by AI, cloud services, and cross-border platforms—this dependency becomes a bottleneck for resilience, autonomy, and growth.
This keynote explores Johor’s path toward digital sovereignty by enhancing its local and regional interconnection fabric. It will address:
• The limitations of current connectivity models and why reliance on Singapore hinders long-term growth
• Strategic priorities for Johor’s own IXs, fiber infrastructure, and cable landing stations
• The case for localizing traffic exchange through public-private collaboration and regional peering
• How to incentivize network providers, hyperscalers, and content platforms to land traffic in Johor
Johor is rapidly emerging as a key data center hub in Southeast Asia, driven by hyperscaler interest, strategic proximity to Singapore, and major infrastructure investments. This keynote explores the trends fueling Johor’s rise—from power and connectivity demands to talent and sustainability challenges—and what it will take for the region to scale smart and compete globally.
Johor’s strategic rise as a digital infrastructure hub is undeniable—but talent may be its greatest bottleneck. With world-class infrastructure projects underway and surging interest from global investors, the region faces a critical question: Who will run these networks and data centers?
Unlike neighboring Singapore, Johor must contend with challenges in attracting skilled professionals—from quality of life to career development opportunities. This keynote confronts the uncomfortable truths head-on while exploring bold, actionable solutions to turn this challenge into a competitive edge.
Addressing
1. Why the current pace of talent development is insufficient to support Johor’s digital ambitions
2. How government, education, and industry can co-create an attractive, future-ready talent pipeline
3. Opportunities to reposition Johor as a hub for upskilling, cost-efficient operations, and digital career mobility
4. Case studies: How other regions build a thriving digital workforce
This session invites industry leaders to rethink traditional talent strategies—not just to fill jobs, but to build ecosystems where talent chooses to stay and grow.
Johor is rapidly emerging as Southeast Asia’s next digital infrastructure hotspot, with hyperscale projects racing to break ground and go live. But in a market where timelines are tight and investor expectations are high, how can data center design support accelerated deployment without sacrificing scalability, efficiency, or resilience?
This session brings together leading developers, engineers, and project delivery experts to unpack the strategies enabling faster builds—from modular design and prefabrication to site-readiness and SEZ-linked planning efficiencies. As demand surges, Johor offers a unique testbed for how hyperscale can be done differently—and done fast.
This panel will explore the dual challenge of ensuring sustainable water and power supplies in Johor, focusing on the innovative strategies and technologies needed to address growing demand while minimizing environmental impact. Experts will discuss how Johor can balance the needs of its expanding economy with the imperative for sustainable resource management.
-Overview of Johor’s water and power sustainability issues, including rising demand and environmental constraints.
-Strategies to improve Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) and Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) while maintaining system reliability and performance.
-Balancing economic growth with sustainable resource usage
-The role of government policies and regulations in sustainability
AI data centers are a different ball game – these up-and-coming facilities are being designed and constructed to accommodate high-density workloads. This represents unique challenges for operators and designers alike, ranging from temperature availability to speed requirements to consistent power availability. This session aims to shed light on important design and engineering imperatives the industry needs to consider in adapting to high-density compute workloads, and how will it impact upcoming facilities.
This panel will explore Johor’s evolving connectivity landscape, emphasizing the role of infrastructure development, cross-border partnerships, and emerging technologies. Industry leaders will discuss the challenges and opportunities in building a resilient digital ecosystem to support economic growth, innovation, and global competitiveness.
– Importance of peering ecosystems for enhancing regional connectivity.
– How policies and incentives can attract global telecom and data center investments.
– Leveraging Johor’s strategic location within SIJORI for enhanced digital trade.
– Addressing fiberization, 5G rollout, and interconnectivity hubs.
– Balancing sustainability, security, and scalability in digital infrastructure expansion.
Johor isn’t just competing for data center investments—it’s setting a new standard for sustainable industrialization in Southeast Asia. This keynote will outline how Johor can leverage its digital boom to create long-term value, ensuring economic growth aligns with carbon neutrality, community resilience, and global ESG leadership.
Key Discussion Points:
• What does “green at scale” look like for Johor’s colocation market?
• Energy sourcing, grid limitations, and the future of renewable PPAs
• Cooling and water-use innovation in a high-density, tropical climate
• Building stakeholder confidence: transparency, certifications, and compliance
• How can local and regional partnerships drive meaningful ESG outcomes?
