DHL expands Asia Pacific data center logistics capabilities to support growing regional demand
- Written by: Telegraph Magazine
- DHL Supply Chain adds more than 160,000 sqm of dedicated warehousing capacity in Asia Pacific to meet rising demand for data centers
- Enhanced capabilities include upskilling workforce in advanced white glove handling and investing in specialized technical services
- Expansion directly responds to Asia Pacific's rapid data center growth, with the region set to become the world's next major data center hub, attracting approximately USD$800 billion (~€730 billion) investment by 2030
DHL's investment in upskilling its workforce in advanced white glove handling and specialized technical services
The expansion includes more than 30,000 square meters of dedicated warehouse capacity currently in operation across Asia Pacific, with a further 130,000 square meters of committed expansion and built‑to‑suit development in Malaysia and Thailand scheduled to go live over the next two years. In total, DHL will support more than 160,000 square meters of data center logistics infrastructure across key markets in the region.
The expansion directly responds to Asia Pacific's rapid data center growth, with the region projected to overtake the United States as the largest data center market globally by 2030. Driven by rising demand for AI, cloud services, and digital connectivity, data center operators face increasing pressure to manage tighter timelines, complex cross-border supply chains, and the movement of high-value equipment into active construction environments. With the data center logistics market increasing from $23 billion in 2025 to approximately $35 billion by 2030, these complex environments call for speed, security, and specialized handling, which DHL is well-positioned to support the entire data center life cycle.
"Market projections show Asia Pacific as the world's next data center hub, with approximately USD$800 billion (~€730 billion) in data center investment expected across the region by 2030," said Javier Bilbao, CEO, Asia Pacific, DHL Supply Chain. "As the region enters this sustained phase of large-scale data center execution, customers need more than capacity; they need execution certainty. Our investments in dedicated infrastructure and advanced white glove capabilities are designed to deliver that certainty by combining precision, consistency, and speed in some of the region's most demanding deployment environments."
DHL's expansion addresses these challenges by combining fully dedicated, high‑security warehousing with specialized service logistics solutions that support complex, multi‑phase deployment programs. A central pillar of the expansion is DHL's investment in upskilling its workforce in advanced white glove handling and specialized technical services. This enables teams to shift critical preparation and integration work from live construction zones to controlled logistics environments.
White glove handling ensures servers, equipment and critical systems are moved under controlled conditions to reduce the risk of damage and delays. These capabilities oversee the full delivery process, from site survey reporting and route assessments to on-site preparation such as floor protection, cage management, and verification of part numbers. Installation and post reporting include rack installation, component verification, area cleaning, and completion reporting.
Specialized technical services further address the complexities of data center logistics. These services include server rack frame assembly, mounting components, intra-rack cabling, functional testing, and secure packaging to protect sensitive server equipment during transport. By building these technical skills in dedicated teams and completing these activities in purpose‑built logistics hubs, DHL helps customers reduce on‑site congestion, lower installation risk, and maintain build schedules, even as infrastructure density and deployment complexity increase.
The Asia Pacific expansion builds on DHL Group's broader global investment in data center logistics, following a recent expansion of data center logistics infrastructure in North America. "Data center logistics is a strategic growth priority for DHL, driven by the rapid development of digital infrastructure and AI," said Amanda Rasmussen, Chief Commercial Officer, DHL Global Forwarding and Head of the Data Center Logistics Taskforce at DHL Group. "Building on recent investments in North America and now expanding further in Asia Pacific, we are mobilizing capabilities across the Group to deliver integrated, end-to-end solutions for every stage of the data center lifecycle. By drawing on our global network and specialist expertise, we enable customers to scale quickly, while ensuring the uptime, resilience and precision these complex operations demand."
Together, these initiatives underscore DHL's focus on data centers as a strategic growth sector and reinforce the Group's ability to support customers with globally integrated, end-to-end logistics execution as digital infrastructure is scaled across regions.
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