A different way to play data, defence, AI and automation

Data volumes are exploding. Defence spending is rising. Automation is accelerating. Artificial intelligence is reshaping supply chains in real time. Most investors express those themes through listed equities. But there is another, less obvious way to gain exposure to the same structural forces. After a sharp correction from 2022 to 2024, capital has returned to industrial property markets. Transaction volumes rebounded in 2025 and confidence has stabilised. Yet as we move into 2026, the opportunity is no longer about recovery. It is about positioning for the next wave of structural demand. When I caught up with Laurence Parisi, Head of Direct Property at Trilogy Funds, the discussion quickly moved beyond cyclical repair and into long-term drivers. “I think if you stick to the fundamentals, you should be fine through the medium to long-term," he says. That discipline now sits alongside powerful tailwinds: defence infrastructure, e-commerce growth, automation-driven facility requirements and constrained supply in strategic markets such as Darwin. For investors looking for exposure to data, defence, AI and automation without buying the obvious names, this may be a different way to play the theme. Check out the video for the full insights.