The event, which gathered over a hundred participants, featured presentations by Francisco Basoalto, President of the Chile Data Centers Association, and Natalia López, Digital Infrastructure Manager at Desarrollo País.

With close to one hundred attendees, Carey hosted the seminar “Data Centers in Chile: Conditions to Become a Regional Digital Hub”, a high-level meeting that brought together authorities, industry representatives, investors, legal advisors, and infrastructure experts to analyze, from a technical and strategic perspective, the factors currently shaping the development of digital infrastructure in the country.

The event addressed an unprecedented discussion due to its comprehensive approach, articulating national vision, investment, regulation, energy, and environmental permitting at a critical moment for defining Chile’s positioning in the regional and global digital economy.

The session was opened by Jorge Ugarte, partner of Carey’s Corporate, Mergers & Acquisitions team, who contextualized the international competitive landscape in which data center projects operate, emphasizing that “this is not a sectoral discussion, but a strategic national decision, where speed, legal certainty, and institutional coordination are decisive.”

Digital infrastructure: Strategic opportunity and competitive urgency

The keynote address was delivered by Francisco Basoalto, President of Chile Data Centers and General Manager of Equinix Chile and Peru, who emphasized that data centers “are not the future, they are the present,” and that digital infrastructure has become a critical asset for competitiveness, investment attraction, and the development of new technologies such as artificial intelligence.

“Investment in digital infrastructure does not wait. When there is no clarity regarding timelines, rules, or energy availability, capital simply moves elsewhere. Chile has significant advantages, but must enable them decisively,” Basoalto stated.

The main panel, moderated by Jorge Ugarte, featured Natalia López, Digital Infrastructure Manager at Desarrollo País, alongside Carey partners specializing in environmental and energy matters, Manuel José Barros and José Miguel Bustamante.

During the discussion, there was a shared view that Chile has a solid foundation—international connectivity, institutional stability, and an energy matrix with a high renewable component—but faces critical challenges in coordination, permitting, energy planning, and regulatory predictability.

“Becoming a digital hub requires aligning multiple layers of government and the private sector. It is not enough to have projects or investor interest; a systemic and long-term vision is needed,” said Natalia López, highlighting the importance of digital infrastructure as public policy.

From a regulatory and territorial perspective, Manuel José Barros emphasized that many projects stall due to inconsistent criteria, low traceability, and lack of conflict anticipation, which ultimately affects timelines and legal certainty.

“The discussion is not environment versus development, but how we design clear, predictable, agile, and technically robust permitting processes that reduce litigation and allow progress with legitimacy,” Barros noted.

For his part, José Miguel Bustamante addressed energy as a central enabling condition for data center development, highlighting that planning must anticipate future demand.

“Chile has a comparative advantage in its energy matrix, but that advantage must translate into timely access and long-term planning. If decisions are not made today, digital infrastructure simply will not arrive,” Bustamante warned.

The seminar concluded with a discussion space that allowed for deeper dialogue among the various participants, reflecting the broad interest in advancing an enabling agenda for digital infrastructure in Chile.