ENGINEER MARVEX 2026 reinforced its reach beyond Malaysia as representatives from 11 countries (Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam) came together to tackle an issue confronting data centre markets worldwide — how to bring ageing infrastructure up to the performance, efficiency and sustainability standards now demanded by the industry.
Convened through the ASHRAE Region XIII Regional Forum 2026, the discussion demonstrated the wider role of ENGINEER MARVEX as a platform for regional and international knowledge exchange. Rather than markets addressing common challenges independently, the forum created space to compare government policies and regulations, exchange technical expertise and proven practices, and identify opportunities for greater collaboration around global standards and guidelines.
Chea Suei Keong, GA Chair 2026/27 and ASHRAE RP ExCom Vice Chair, said the ability to bring 11 countries into the same conversation was central to that exchange.
“ENGINEER MARVEX has provided ASHRAE Region XIII with an excellent platform for our annual regional forum, bringing together representatives from 11 countries under one roof. Through this platform, we can share government policies, regulations and technical best practices so countries don’t have to reinvent the wheel and can adopt proven guidelines more efficiently,” he emphasised.
That international exchange was anchored around a pressing technical challenge. As data centres age while computing requirements continue to advance, existing facilities must deliver better efficiency and reliability without necessarily being replaced. The forum examined how structured retrofits, supported by clear PUE targets, regulations and ASHRAE standards, can help bridge that gap.
Bill Wang, Journal Editor of the National Federation of Air-conditioning & Refrigeration Professional Engineer Guilds, Republic of China, highlighted the challenge of optimising facilities that may already be 20 to 30 years old.
“We are talking about retrofitting existing data centres to reduce power consumption and optimise the operation of these existing facilities,” he noted.
The significance extends beyond one forum or one technical issue. Bringing 11 countries together allows knowledge gained in one market to inform solutions in another, while opening avenues for governments, engineers and industry organisations to collaborate on challenges that cross national borders.