Data Center Investments Face Future Tech Obsolescence
New storage and battery innovations could render current infrastructure obsolete within the next decade.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Data Centers
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Economist Amir Lebdioui of Oxford is cautioning governments against heavy infrastructure investment in data centers and mineral processing. Emerging technologies like 5D glass storage could render these physical facilities obsolete within a decade.
Why it matters
Governments are currently under intense pressure to localize mineral processing and build massive data infrastructure. However, rapid shifts in storage and battery tech threaten to strand this capital as demand for current physical assets potentially collapses.
Experimental 5D nano-structured glass storage achieves 100 times the data density of traditional hard drives. Meanwhile, research into synthetic DNA and non-lithium/cobalt battery chemistries aims to decouple future infrastructure from today’s critical mineral dependencies.
The players
Amir Lebdioui
An economist at the University of Oxford who specializes in industrial policy and the economic risks associated with emerging technological shifts.
The details
5D nano-structured glass technology uses laser-based optical writing to encode data in five dimensions—spatial coordinates plus size and orientation—within a quartz substrate. Separately, synthetic DNA storage uses the four-letter code of nucleotides to store digital information at high density. Researchers are also diversifying battery chemistries, moving away from scarce materials like lithium and cobalt to mitigate supply chain risks.
Timeline
Infrastructure built today faces a risk of obsolescence within 10 years.
The Tech Race
This development warns against repeating Chile's historical reliance on nitrate exports as synthetic alternatives begin to threaten established resource-based industries. Governments currently mimicking Indonesia's focus on nickel and bauxite processing face similar risks if these materials become technologically redundant.
Policymakers and investors are advised to prioritize flexible technology foresight units over static, large-scale physical infrastructure projects. Expect future resource demand calculations to shift as these high-density storage and alternative battery solutions mature from research to commercial scale.
The takeaway
The window for current infrastructure to remain relevant is closing as high-density storage and alternative energy chemistries advance. Keep watch on the commercial viability of 5D glass storage as a primary indicator of whether today's massive data center build-outs are nearing an peak.
Further reading
Explore deeper into the shifts in physical facility design at Data Centers.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Free Malaysia Today.
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Is it a good time for governments to commit billions to current industrial infrastructure?
