New report outlines actions needed to convert rapid data centre growth into long-term economic value
LONDON (February 24, 2026) – AECOM, the trusted global infrastructure leader, is advocating for the establishment of a sovereign data centre framework to protect critical digital infrastructure and ensure the UK benefits from the rapid growth of AI.
As AI becomes embedded across public services and regulated sectors, questions of where sensitive data is hosted and who controls the infrastructure that underpins it are becoming more critical.
In a new report, Data centres, energy and regional growth: a road map to success, AECOM cautions that while global investment in data centres is accelerating, the UK risks losing strategic control and economic value unless growth is guided by clearer national priorities, coordinated planning and stronger alignment between energy, infrastructure and regional development.
The report makes the case that delivering secure, UK-based infrastructure for sensitive AI and public-sector workloads will require clearer long-term signals and greater coordination between government and industry, alongside continued private investment.
“Data centres are now critical national infrastructure in every meaningful sense”, said Mary-Ann Clarke
UK and Europe Data Centre Lead, AECOM. “A clear sovereign framework would give developers and investors greater certainty, strengthen resilience and help ensure the UK retains control over a critical layer of its digital economy.”
The report’s key recommendations include:
- Establishing a sovereign data centre infrastructure framework for sensitive public-sector and regulated workloads, supported by clear demand signals and long-term contracting models
- Actively steering where digital demand is located, directing high-intensity computing towards locations that support the energy system, unlock powered land and enable regional growth
- Incentivising system-positive data centres that strengthen the energy system through flexible demand, waste heat reuse and on-site generation
- Positioning data centres as anchors for regional growth, aligning major developments with skills, energy and regeneration strategies
“The UK has made important progress in recognising the strategic role of data centres and AI-enabled infrastructure, particularly through recent planning and energy reforms,” said Adrian Del Maestro, Vice President, Global Energy Advisory at AECOM. “The next step is to build on that momentum by providing clearer long-term signals on where critical digital infrastructure should be located, how it is powered and how sensitive workloads are secured.”
For over 25 years, AECOM has partnered with hyperscalers, colocation leaders, and operators to deliver hyperscale data centres globally.