Hyperscalers at Sedenak Tech Park West (StepWest) are expected to start foundation works in 2026, with the first facilities potentially becoming operational around 2028, says Jland Group, its developer at a media briefing on IBTEC held in Johor Bahru recently. Companies already committed to StepWest include Microsoft’s US$147 million (S$190 million) land acquisition and Bridge Data Centres’ 400MW power agreement, with Jland targeting RM40 billion (US$ 9.8 billion) in new investments at StepWest over the next three years, its managing director, Akmal Ahmad reportedly said.
StepWest is a data centre hub located within the 7,290-acre tech township Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC) in Johor which was launched recently. IBTEC is located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Both StepWest and IBTEC are being positioned as new economic flagships in Johor, targeting Singapore-based data centre and logistics players. JLand is the real estate and infrastructure arm of Johor Corporation (JCorp), the state’s investment arm.
But unlike previous industrial parks, IBTEC is planned to be built based on demand where anchor investors commit before large-scale construction begins, rather than based on speculation, said Akmal.
Japanese developer, Sumitomo, is the main collaborator, focusing on three areas, namely industrial park development and investment flows; green infrastructure, including renewable energy and district cooling systems; and healthcare and social infrastructure, such as senior living facilities.
StepWest offers 22 plots ranging from 2ha to 23ha which is backed by a power infrastructure of 500 kilovolt (kV) and 275kV. IBTEC aims to be an “innovation sandbox” where companies can test solutions in a live environment before scaling regionally. In short, IBTEC offers pre-built power, connectivity and transport infrastructure designed to cut time-to-operations, whilst adhering to global standards, said Akmal as reported by The Business Times.
IBTEC is masterplanned as an integrated township, rather than as “just another industrial park”. This township combines industrial and logistics zones, research and development facilities, commercial centres and lifestyle neighbourhoods.
“We aim to be the first certified Low Carbon Industial City in Malaysia, focused on symbiotic advanced industries such as Electrical and Electronics, Renewable Energy, Food & Agritech, Data Centres, Medical Technology & Pharmaceutical Technology, and Smart Logistics,” said Akmal.
StepEast, a data centre hub within IBTEC launched earlier, has already secured more than RM30 billion in committed investments from 11 international operators from China, the US, Singapore and Malaysia, with a combined IT load of 1,770MW, Akmal reportedly said.
The JS-SEZ was designed so that “Johor’s scale and Singapore’s speed can work in tandem”, with IBTEC serving as a test bed for joint new economy projects, JCorp president and chief executive Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim said at the IBTEC launch. The launch was officiated by Johor Prince Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim, representing the Regent of Johor.