Data Centres: why community engagement is more important than you might think

After attending BisNow’s Data Centres Investment and Development Conference, our Head of Development, Osman Dervish, shares his reflections on the industry - drawing on his experience of engaging with politicians and communities on data centres projects.

The global AI boom has driven data centres out of the science and technology pages of your newspaper – if you still take your news from a physical newspaper, that is – and onto the front pages.

This raised profile comes at a pivotal moment, when industry is evolving rapidly and the demand for the critical infrastructure that data centres provide has never been greater. For those of us who are working in the sector, it's a real opportunity to demonstrate the huge benefits that data centres provide and take communities on the journey, both in terms of engagement and design.

While data centres are increasingly in the public eye, awareness of what they actually are remains low. A recent Focaldata poll found that only 20% of Britons know what a data centre is and can explain it – a striking gap given how central they are to everyday life.¹

Bridging this gap is a key hurdle for data centre developers. Explaining what a data centre is in plain, relatable terms to the local communities where a data centre is being proposed, early on in the process is critical to establishing a positive dialogue with local residents.

Once communities understand that data centres are critical infrastructure underpinning their everyday lives, engagement can move on to the wider community benefits a development can bring.

From experience, this is where genuine community support can be built. Beyond direct benefits such as local jobs and wider improvements to the immediate physical environment, data centres can act as a catalyst - attracting technology-focused businesses to the area, and creating high-value employment, apprenticeships and training opportunities. It is demonstrating these wider impacts that the case for data centres can become truly compelling.

Luminate has first-hand experience in navigating these challenges and understands what it takes to build genuine community support for data centre developments – support that matters far more than many developers initially assume!

If you are bringing forward a data centre development and need support engaging with local politicians and communities, get in touch with us to talk about how we can help you make it a success.  

‍