A new report into the building service sector has revealed that data centres are a prominent cause for the recent growth
BESA confirm that more clients are utilising building engineering firms directly for these projects.
The rise in popularity of AI in the last five years is the key contributor to the rise in data centre projects.
Data centre development rates have increased
Currently, the market for data centres is valued at £2.3bn, but at current growth rates, this is expected to reach £1.1 trillion by 2030.
The data also shows that these projects represented “the boom segment of 2024”, with a combined value of planning applications hitting £2.6bn, nearly double from the previous year.
The rise in data centres is excellent news for the building service sector, matching other high-tech sectors such as defence, pharmaceuticals, and life services.
Building services often hit more than 60% of project value, meaning the mechanical, electrical, and plumbing providers are frequently the lead contractor.
“The pace of growth is putting pressure on supply chains”
Kevin Morrissey, BESA technical director, said: “The pace of growth provides significant opportunities for companies to scale up and diversify. However, the pace of growth is putting pressure on supply chains and our members are facing significant resource constraints in these high demand sectors.”
Remi Suzan, chair of the recent BESA Roundtable, said: “The discussions at this week’s BESA roundtable underscored the critical role that our industry plays in the data centre sector. We are helping to drive innovation, sustainability, and resilience in our digital economy. As the industry continues to evolve, collaboration and forward-thinking strategies will be key to ensuring we meet growing demands efficiently and responsibly.”
BESA are taking their commitments seriously.
Earlier this week, the BESA announced that they are suspending 14 of their members for failing to meet standards.
This comes as part of an audit that found the 14 firms fell short of upholding the best interest of the building engineering sector by failing the Competence Assessment Standard.
BESA chief executive officer, David Frise, said: “BESA has never been afraid to robustly defend its remit and constitution.
“We do not suspend members lightly but take our wider responsibilities to the industry and its ultimate clients – building occupants – extremely seriously.
“Last week’s Grenfell: Uncovered documentary on Netflix was a timely reminder of why we must do everything we can to maintain the highest possible standards. It should remind us that every decision we make has a consequence – whether in the short-term or much further down the road for the people who inhabit buildings.
“The country should be able to depend on its building services industry to deliver work to the highest possible standards.”
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