Today Online-Sept 6
Singaporeans can look forward to “hundreds of jobs” at Facebook’s first custom-built data center in Asia when it opens its doors in the Republic in 2022.
Among the roles available include electricians, air conditioning and heating specialists as well as culinary, technical operations, cleaning, logistics and security personnel, and more. Some of the roles have been listed on the company’s careers page, with more expected to be published in the coming weeks.
The S$1.4 billion data center — the company’s 15th worldwide — will be located in Tanjong Kling (formerly known as Data Centre Park) in the western region of Singapore.
In a press release on Thursday (Sept 6), the social media giant said that the 170,000 sqm space will form part of the company’s “growing presence in Singapore and across Asia”.
Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony for the project on Thursday, Trade and Industry Minister Chan Chun Sing said the project helps Singapore to enhance its connectivity beyond the physical dimensions of air, land and sea, to include non-physical dimensions of talent, ideas and technology.
“This investment in the digital realm will help us transcend our previous constraints of geography and size. Such investments, not just from Facebook alone, but also from many other players in similar fields, will help us transcend our geography and size,” said Mr Chan.
Facebook came up with a new specially tailored design for Singapore and a way to build its facility to overcome efficiency challenges of locating the data centre in the Republic’s dense and urban environment with its high temperature and humidity.
The building is expected to be completed by late 2022, which is when the facility will commence operations.
Facebook said Fortis Construction has been selected as a general contractor for the project due to its joint experience in building efficient data centers.
