Why Collaboration is Becoming a Bigger Part of Data Centre Growth

Recent developments across the UK data centre sector point to a change in how infrastructure growth is being delivered.

ONNEC and RS have both strengthened their involvement with the Data Centre Alliance (DCA), while the DCA itself has expanded its partnerships, including a collaboration with the Carbon Trust focused on sustainability frameworks and emissions reporting.

These developments highlight an increasingly important reality for the sector. Demand for digital infrastructure remains strong. Delivering that infrastructure at the pace required is becoming a more complex challenge.

Growth is Creating New Delivery Pressures

The UK’s data centre market continues to expand.

According to figures cited by RS and the DCA, the sector now comprises more than 500 operational facilities, contributes approximately £4.7 billion ($6.1 billion) annually in Gross Value Added (GVA) and is projected to add a further £44 billion ($57.9 billion) to the UK economy by 2035.

Demand continues to be driven by cloud computing, AI adoption, and the growth of digital services and for many organisations, demand is already established.

The focus is now on how quickly new capacity can be planned, delivered, and brought online. As infrastructure projects become larger and more complex, growth increasingly depends on the ability to coordinate expertise across design, construction, operations, sustainability, and supply chains.

Growth is Expanding Beyond Traditional Hubs

For many years, discussions around UK data centre growth centred on London and the South East.

That is changing.

Infrastructure activity is becoming more geographically distributed, with growing attention on Scotland, the North West and other regional locations capable of supporting future demand.

This reflects trends already visible across the sector. Scotland’s AI-ready zones, emerging regional infrastructure clusters and efforts to attract hyperscale investment all point towards a market that is becoming less concentrated around traditional hubs.

Several factors are contributing to this change, including power availability, land access, planning considerations and the need to support AI-ready infrastructure.

As capacity requirements grow, developers are evaluating a broader range of locations and delivery models.

Infrastructure Delivery is Becoming a Strategic Issue

Expanding infrastructure is one challenge, but delivering it efficiently is another.

ONNEC’s engagement with the DCA highlights the role of specialist delivery expertise as projects become larger and more technically demanding.

With more than 30 years of experience supporting network infrastructure, structured cabling and hyperscale environments, the company is part of a wider ecosystem involved in converting investment into operational capacity.

“The UK has a tremendous opportunity to lead in digital infrastructure innovation, but achieving that requires strong partnerships, shared expertise, and a commitment to delivering at pace,” said Claire Keelan, UK Managing Director at ONNEC.

As AI infrastructure expands and project timelines become more demanding, the ability to coordinate design, construction, and deployment activities is becoming an important factor in determining how quickly new capacity can be delivered.

Supply Chains Are Becoming Part of the Discussion

The role of supply chains is also receiving greater attention.

Discussions around data centres often focus on power, cooling and connectivity. Yet infrastructure delivery also depends on procurement, maintenance, replacement components and technical support.

This is one of the areas highlighted by RS, which generated £2.88 billion ($3.7 billion) in annual revenue and supports industrial and infrastructure sectors across multiple markets.

“When data centre teams are under pressure, they need access to real support from people who understand not only the products they require, but also the operational realities they face,” said Richard Graham, Industry Sector Manager at RS.

As facilities become more complex and uptime expectations remain high, supply chain resilience plays an important role in maintaining service continuity and supporting future growth.

Sustainability is Becoming Part of Infrastructure Planning

Sustainability is also becoming more closely integrated into infrastructure delivery.

The partnership between the Carbon Trust and the DCA reflects growing attention on practical areas such as emissions reporting, decarbonisation pathways and sustainability frameworks.

As operators balance growth with energy demand and Net Zero commitments, sustainability involves collaboration across infrastructure providers, operators, industry bodies, and specialist organisations.

Industry Bodies Are Becoming Convening Points

These developments also highlight the role of industry organisations in bringing different parts of the sector together.

The DCA, established in 2010, represents operators, infrastructure providers, suppliers and sustainability specialists. Its role reflects the nature of the challenges facing the industry, where issues such as delivery capacity, resilience and sustainability require coordination across multiple organisations.

The UK’s data centre market continues to see strong demand and investment.

As infrastructure requirements become larger, more distributed and more complex, the discussion is extending beyond capacity alone. Power, delivery capability, supply chains, sustainability and operational expertise are becoming more closely connected.

The sector’s future growth will still be measured in megawatts and capacity. Delivering that growth depends on a wider network of organisations working together to turn investment into operational infrastructure.