04 Jul 2025

Event round-up: Building Critical Infrastructure and Advancing AI

Last Tuesday (24 June), techUK hosted its Building Critical Infrastructure and Advancing AI roundtable at the Bayes Centre in Edinburgh, in partnership with The Data Lab.

Chaired by Matt Evans, COO and Director of Market Programmes at techUK, the roundtable brought together government, techUK members and other sector stakeholders to discuss the infrastructure and investment required to advance AI, with a particular focus on data centres.

The event was opened by Richard Lochhead MSP, Minister for Business and Employment at the Scottish Government, who began by noting that Scotland - and Edinburgh in particular - is a leader in AI. The Minister emphasised his own commitment to ensuring the country is part of the tech revolution and acknowledged that data centres will be key to this moving forward. Opportunities to grow Scotland’s data centres industry must be seized in order to support many of the high growth businesses that are data dependent.

While issues around grid connections and AI growth zone policies are reserved, the Minister was keen to explore how stakeholders in Scotland could work together to drive forward the AI and data centre agendas using the powers, skills and expertise that it already has.

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Key points from the discussion which followed are below.

Understanding the demand for data centres

Data centre providers are currently seeing least growth from ‘traditional’ users of their facilities - such as regional businesses clustered in postcodes near the data centres – and are instead seeing interest from tech companies who are ringfencing data centre space to help build their business models. Given challenges around sustainability and power consumption, many organisations are looking to move away from on-prem and into data centres.

Articulating the benefits

Throughout the discussion, it was clear that Scotland needs to better articulate the benefits of data centres. Further data centre capacity and capability are essential if it is to unlock the tech-led growth fuelled by AI advancements and add capacity for further growth.  AI advancements have the potential to significantly improve public services - in areas such as health or transport - and efficiency and productivity within the private sector so the case for AI is intertwined with data centre capacity in the UK.

Showcasing positive use cases and demonstrating how the benefits of data centres filter down to local communities will help inform the general public’s understanding of data centres. It will also aid organisations involved in the decisions about where data centres are located, such as local authorities, environmental agencies and other stakeholders.  

One of the examples highlighted was that of a techUK member, that uses the heat generated from its data centre to heat a public swimming pool. Others related to organisations that were using data centres to develop AI solutions which could monitor air quality and improve safe, integrated travel in cities.

techUK will be compiling further examples of use cases to disseminate to relevant stakeholders. This will include the new Scottish Tech Council, which is made up of academic and business experts, such as techUK President, Sheila Flavell CBE.

Data from techUK’s Foundations for the future: How data centres can boost UK economic growth report was also referenced during the roundtable. The report, which was published in November 2024, found that, on an annual basis, data centres contribute £4.7 billion in GVA to the UK economy and 43,500 jobs in the UK economy. Additional capacity could significantly increase these figures and this doesn’t include the jobs in companies and the wider digital economy that are supported by their commercial relationship with data centres.

Making Scotland a destination for data centres

80% of data centres are located within Greater London, and for international organisations looking to locate or use data centre facilities in the UK, the proximity to Heathrow airport and the required workforce is a key factor.

Yet Scotland has many advantages, some of which are listed below, which make it an alternative attractive destination:

  • A strong renewable energy sector.
  • Lower operating costs.
  • A reputation as a leader in AI.

Some participants stated that the adoption of regional energy pricing, also known as zonal pricing, could lead to a further competitive advantage for Scotland.

What needs to happen next?

While the roundtable discussion was wide ranging, there was general consensus that Scotland needs to:

  • Urgently improve its digital connectivity - including within rural and remote areas - and grid infrastructure.
  • Emphasise and further explain the value of data centres to businesses, the economy and society.
  • Connect its data, which too often sits in silos making it harder to utilise effectively.
  • Ensure procurement is placed at the heart of discussions and policies relating to public service reform, innovation strategies and the Industrial Strategy.

Such actions will help Scotland to keep pace with technology advancements and strengthen its data centres industry.

For enquiries relating to this roundtable discussion, please contact [email protected]

To find out more about techUK’s wider Data Centres Programme, please contact [email protected]. The team will be publishing a report on data centre water usage later in the year so please do keep up-to-date on their webpage here.

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The Data Lab

The Data Lab is Scotland’s innovation centre for data and AI. The Data Lab was founded in 2014 as part of Scotland’s Innovation Centres programme. Their purpose is to change lives and make Scotland a more productive economy and a sustainable society by transforming how we use data. They foster innovation through collaboration, build skills and grow talent, and they champion Scotland’s data science community; funding 1,000 graduate students, generating £319 million anticipated increase in business turnover, and over 1350 jobs to date. The Data Lab want Scotland to become a global leader in applying data and AI innovation and skills development that benefits our economy and society.

For more information, explore The Data Lab’s Impact Report and become a part of The Data Lab Community. You can find out more about their Data and AI Skills Framework which provides guidance for individuals, teams and organisations on the key competencies needed to thrive in the data and AI driven economy. Please get in touch with The Data Lab by emailing: [email protected]


Stephanie Barr

Stephanie Barr

Programme Manager, SME Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK

Stephanie is the Programme Manager for SME Engagement and Nations & Regions at techUK.

Working across the two programmes, Stephanie develops activities to support the growth and development of tech SMEs and engages with members and stakeholders more broadly to help strengthen regional tech economies.

Prior to joining techUK, Stephanie worked for a political events company and as a Senior Caseworker for an MP. She holds an MA (HONS) in Politics from the University of Glasgow.

Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys travelling, climbing and playing squash.

Email:
[email protected]

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Luisa C. Cardani

Luisa C. Cardani

Head of Data Centres Programme, techUK

Luisa C. Cardani is the Head of the Data Centres Programme at techUK, aiming to provide a collective voice for UK operators and working with government to improve business environment for the data centres sector.

Prior to joining techUK, Luisa worked in the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as the Head of International Data Protection, where she led on the development of elements of the UK's data protection and privacy policy. In her role, she was also the UK official representative for the EOCD Privacy Guidelines Informal Advisory Group.

She has held a number of position in government, including leading on cross-cutting data provisions in the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and in high priority cross-departmental projects when working in the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

She holds an M.Sc. from University College London's Department of Political Sciences.

Email:
[email protected]
Phone:
07587 210 799
Website:
www.techUK.org
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/luisacardani

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Meet the team 

Matt Robinson

Matt Robinson

Head of Nations and Regions, techUK

Ileana Lupsa

Ileana Lupsa

Programme Manager, Local Public Services and Nations and Regions, techUK

Stephanie Barr

Stephanie Barr

Programme Manager, SME Engagement and Nations & Regions, techUK

Tracy Modha

Tracy Modha

Programme Marketing Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK

Francesca Richiusa

Francesca Richiusa

Programme Team Assistant for Public Sector Markets, techUK