Within the real estate market for industrial properties, there is a subcategory that has been growing recently: Data Centers. Data from the TIC Domicílios 2022 survey, conducted by the Brazilian Network Information Center (NIC.br), shows that 60 million Brazilian households have internet access, 51% more than in 2015.

At some point, all this information generated by 90% of the population, the proportion of people with internet access according to IBGE Cidades, goes through a data center. Information from Mordor Intelligence shows that the size of the Brazilian data center market is USD 2.10 billion, and by 2028, it is estimated to reach USD 3.03 billion.

Bruno Porto, business manager for industrial, logistics, and data center real estate at JLL, explains that the space needs to contain the computing infrastructure that IT systems require, such as servers, data storage units, and network equipment.

"Small data centers require a minimum IT infrastructure and power capacity, while large data centers will require their own high-capacity power substation, a location far from pollutants that may interfere with the performance and lifespan of processors, flood-prone regions, activities that generate vibrations, and activities at risk of explosions. A data center will also require infrastructure for generators, no breaks, transformers, and cooling," he says.

Porto explains that the infrastructure of the region, not just the facility, needs to be adapted or rethought. Usually, changes to the region are related to energy, including reinforcements to existing lines, increased capacity of substations, creation, or extension of high or medium-voltage power lines. In addition, there is a need to have access to fiber optics.

"The security factor is of utmost importance for data centers. In view of this, owners or occupants invest in various security mechanisms such as fencing, security agents, cameras, intrusion detection technology, entry control, and monitoring to ensure the physical security of the space," explains the business manager.

The companies that use these spaces range from streaming companies to the financial sector, with the latter being the most demanding currently. Data from the International Data Center (IDC) reveals that, by 2025, 175 zettabytes of information will be generated.

"Any company that needs to store and process its data remotely. As main users, we can highlight the technology sector that stores large amounts of user data, the Entertainment and Media sector that processes large volumes of data for streaming services, and the financial sector, which has a large amount of information and data transfer related to its operations," concludes Bruno Porto.