Beyond the Gigawatt: AI Foundations for Growth and Community Benefit
The UK's AI success won't be measured solely in gigawatts. It will be judged on whether a hospital can treat patients faster or a manufacturer can become more productive. These are the outcomes that matter.
To date, the debate around AI infrastructure has focused on increasing compute capacity, but broader thinking is needed. Achieving practical benefits depends on where processing power is located and how organisations can access it securely. That’s how we put AI to work; connecting people and businesses where they need it most.
The Government’s recent Budget and new Data Centre Covenant are welcome signals that digital infrastructure is central to the UK’s ambitions. The Chancellor pointed to security, resilience, and local benefit as priorities. That’s an excellent springboard to turn national ambition into local growth, while building public trust. There are three essential ingredients to make it happen: the right mix of infrastructure, the networks to connect it, and security built in from the start.
Think beyond mega data centres
AI Growth Zones are vital to provide a baseline of domestic computing capacity; supporting research and running demanding AI workloads. But not every application belongs in a vast, centralised facility. Smaller, strategically located data centres can bring computing power closer to where AI is deployed and answer the Chancellor’s call in the Budget for the most sensitive data, such as health records, to be kept in the UK.
Consider a manufacturer using AI-powered robotics on a production line, or a hospital deploying time-sensitive diagnostic tools. In both cases, data needs to be exchanged quickly, securely and reliably. It needs to happen across devices, local networks, data centres and cloud infrastructure. Sending data to a distant data centre isn't always practical and could introduce latency, cost, or operational complexity.
This approach can also deliver local benefit. As an example, Deep Green’s data centre in Trafford captures excess heat to warm a public swimming pool, saving the council significant money and in turn enabling them to run more swimming lessons for the local community. A practical reminder that digital infrastructure can create social, as well as economic, value.
Connect compute capacity to the real economy
A data centre is only as powerful as the network connecting it securely and reliably to the people, systems, and services that depend on it. That connection is not always straightforward. Many businesses and public bodies operate across several sites and cloud environments, with data often spread across different systems. Bringing that data together and making it accessible where it is needed requires high-performance, secure connectivity.
Greater Manchester provides a useful example. Its full fibre GM One network connects more than 1,500 public sector sites. This kind of infrastructure allows organisations to connect systems, share information and access computing resources across locations, rather than having to build and manage everything independently. High-performance, energy-efficient connectivity ensures compute power can be located anywhere and harnessed everywhere.
Make security the foundation, not the finishing touch
Trust is at the core of AI being deployed confidently into critical public services or core business operations. That requires security which begins in the data centre from day one, continues throughout the AI development process, and enables safe AI deployment. Zero-trust principles, strong data governance, and resilient architecture all help organisations innovate without compromising sensitive information or essential services.
It is also what meaningful digital sovereignty looks like: not simply where data is stored, but protecting it, controlling access to it, and keeping services running when disruption strikes.
Turn capacity into opportunity
National AI infrastructure will only transform the economy and public services if regional economies have the confidence and connectivity to use it. By combining the right data centre footprint with resilient connectivity and robust security, the UK can move AI from experimentation into everyday value. That is how we turn gigawatts into growth.
