KPMG – The Backbone of AI: Securing the UK’s Digital Future, 2025

The report focuses on the critical role of digital infrastructure, especially data centres, in supporting the UK's leadership and competitiveness in artificial intelligence (AI).

It highlights the rapid growth of the UK data centre market driven by global digitisation, cloud migration, and AI workloads. The UK ranks third globally with 523 data centre facilities, supported by government and private capital commitments to renewable energy and Tier 1 networks. Regional growth is notable in the North West, South East, and Scotland, with the sector designated as Critical National Infrastructure contributing £44 billion economically.