As data centers spring up across the state and country to support the demands of cloud computing, AI and digital infrastructure, a group of Wisconsin businesses are launching a new coalition to help position the state as not just a destination for data center developers, but a major player in the national data center economy.

The Wisconsin Data Center Coalition (WIDCC), which is still in its early stages, has been quietly building its foundation over the last few months.

The coalition was borne out of observations that Wisconsin was not showcasing what it has to offer the data center industry as much as it should, founding members said.

For instance, at conferences hosted by the 7X24 Exchange, an organization focused on “always-on” digital infrastructure like data centers, Jon Mariano, chief financial officer of Delafield-based Evans Transportation and a founding member of WIDCC, said he and other business leaders noticed that representation from Wisconsin “wasn’t great.”

“It got us thinking, ‘How can we represent the state, not just our individual interest,’” Mariano said.

The data center industry is expected to see a significant boom over the next decade, and coalition organizers say now is the time for Wisconsin businesses to position themselves for long-term participation.

Read more at the BizTimes.