The US$50.8 million deal strengthens TECO’s push into modular infrastructure and faster data center deployment across Southeast Asia.
Updated
May 26, 2026 5:39 PM
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
TECO Electric & Machinery is expanding further into Southeast Asia’s AI data center infrastructure market through a new acquisition in Malaysia.
The Taiwan-based company has signed an agreement to acquire approximately 78 percent of Malaysian engineering firm Dynaciate Engineering in a deal valued at around MYR 200 million (US$50.8 million). According to TECO, the acquisition is aimed at strengthening its modular data center manufacturing capabilities and supporting its expansion across Southeast Asia’s data center infrastructure sector.
Under the agreement, Dynaciate will become TECO’s global manufacturing hub for modular data center and power equipment products. The company will also serve as an engineering hub supporting TECO’s regional expansion efforts, particularly in AI data center infrastructure projects.
TECO Chairman Morris Li said the integration between both companies has improved execution efficiency and increased the company’s in-house modular prefabrication capabilities. According to the company, the collaboration has reduced data center delivery timelines to as little as six months.
Dynaciate is headquartered in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. Its facilities span approximately 36,000 square meters and include eight production buildings focused on stainless steel and carbon steel fabrication. The company said the site is also eligible for export tax incentives that support future global supply chain deployment.
According to TECO, Dynaciate has experience in engineering, steel fabrication and large-scale industrial projects for multinational corporations. The company added that Dynaciate has expanded into the data center engineering market since 2025 through projects involving international cloud service provider clients.
TECO estimates that after the acquisition, around 65 percent of future data center-related revenue will come from modular data centers and prefabricated products, while the remaining 35 percent will come from AI data center engineering projects. The company also forecasts that data center-related revenue within its Power & Energy Business Group will rise from below 10 percent to 30 percent this year.
Dynaciate CEO Ng Kim Thiea said the company is entering a new phase of growth through the partnership with TECO. He added that Dynaciate has extensive experience supporting engineering and industrial projects across the region.
The acquisition marks a further expansion of TECO’s presence in the AI data center infrastructure sector as companies continue increasing investments in modular infrastructure and regional engineering capacity.
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A rare policy consensus emerges as AI’s impact moves beyond innovation into governance and societal risk
Updated
May 26, 2026 5:40 PM
A mechanical hand reaching for the hand of flesh. PHOTO: UNSPLASH
A new survey from Povaddo, a policy research firm, suggests that concern about artificial intelligence is no longer limited to industry or academia. It is now firmly present within the policy community.
The survey draws on responses from 301 public policy professionals across the United States and Europe, including lawmakers, staffers and analysts involved in shaping and evaluating public policy. A majority of respondents—61%—say governments are falling short in addressing the negative impacts of AI.
There is also broad agreement that regulation needs to increase. In the United States, 92% of respondents support stronger AI regulation, compared to 70% in Europe. At a time when consensus is often difficult, the findings point to a shared view across policy circles that current frameworks are not keeping pace with technological development.
Differences emerge when looking at how AI is affecting national contexts. In the U.S., 57% of policy experts believe AI is already harming the labor market. In Europe, 34% say the same. U.S. respondents are also more likely to see AI as a greater threat to jobs than immigration, with 63% holding that view compared to 47% in Europe.
On misinformation, responses are closely aligned. A large majority of policy experts in both regions expect an AI-driven misinformation crisis within the next one to two years—87% in the U.S. and 82% in Europe. Many also believe that AI-generated or AI-amplified misinformation could affect elections and public health information.
Some respondents frame the risks in more fundamental terms. In the United States, 41% of policy experts say AI poses an existential threat to humanity. In Europe, 29% share that view. U.S. respondents are also more likely to believe that advances in AI could harm global security and stability.
The findings come as policymakers begin to respond more actively. In the U.S., Senators Josh Hawley, Richard Blumenthal and Mark Warner have introduced bipartisan legislation focused on AI accountability, including measures aimed at protecting workers and children.
In Europe, the introduction of the EU AI Act marks a more advanced regulatory approach. The framework sets out rules based on levels of risk and is widely seen as the first comprehensive attempt to govern AI at scale.
William Stewart, President and Founder of Povaddo, said: "What makes these findings so significant is who is saying it. These are the practitioners who work inside the policy process every day, spanning every corner of the policy world from defense to healthcare to finance, not activists or everyday citizens. These findings foreshadow real action. The current path of governments accelerating AI deployment while falling short on governance is not sustainable, and the people who know that best are the ones in this survey. You cannot have nine-in-ten policy insiders demanding more regulation and four-in-ten calling AI an existential threat without that eventually moving the needle in Washington and Brussels in terms of legislative or regulatory action".
Taken together, the survey reflects a shift in how AI is being discussed within policymaking circles. Concern is no longer limited to future risks. It is increasingly tied to current gaps in governance and the pace of deployment.