TOKYO, Japan — Softbank Corp. and Sharp Corp. have agreed to construct a large-scale AI data center at Sharp's LCD panel factory in Sakai City.
The data center, scheduled for completion by the end of 2025, will initially have a receiving capacity of 150 megawatts.
It is anticipated that this will be expanded to over 400 megawatts.
The data center will occupy approximately 440,000 square meters of land, representing approximately 60% of the total area of the Sharp Sakai factory.
SoftBank has agreed to purchase the factory's land, buildings, power facilities, and cooling equipment to accelerate the construction process, which is scheduled to commence in the autumn of 2024.
The data center will be utilized for generative AI development and other AI-related businesses and will be accessible to universities, research institutions, and companies.
The companies intend to investigate the potential of utilizing clean energy sources to minimize the data center's environmental footprint.
Furthermore, they will assess the potential for future collaborative endeavors in AI-related businesses.
