Why FM is Central to the UK’s Digital Future

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• Why FM is Central to the UK’s Digital Future

29 September 2025

The Tech Prosperity Deal between the UK and the US could present a huge growth opportunity for the facilities management sector.

In this Opinion piece, Richard Sykes, SVP & President, ABM UK & Ireland, explains how the government’s plans for new data centre infrastructure will demand that specialist maintenance services hit new levels of efficiency.

Richard Sykes oversees ABM’s European business, operations, and growth strategy, focusing on expanding the company’s integrated facility service portfolio throughout the UK and Ireland. Prior to joining ABM in 2023, Richard served in a variety of regional CEO roles across Europe, APAC and the Americas at global facility management provider ISS. He started his career at Taylor Woodrow, then one of the UK’s largest house builders. He has an MBA from the Open University in the U.K. and a BSc Hons in Quantity Surveying.

 

"The Tech Prosperity Deal may be the trigger, but the real test is whether FM seizes this moment to become a genuine strategic enabler of the digital economy. Reliability, sustainability, and efficiency are converging into a single expectation — and FM is the thread that binds them together."

 

The Tech Prosperity Deal

 

The Tech Prosperity Deal between the UK and the US is set to inject billions into new data centre infrastructure, forming a cornerstone of Kier Starmer’s ambition to establish the UK as an “AI Superpower.” For facilities management, this represents both a significant growth opportunity and one of the most complex operational tests in decades.

Across the UK and Ireland, FM teams are already embedded in the heart of digital infrastructure. At ABM alone, more than 4.5 million square feet of data centre space is serviced each year, supporting over 600 client facilities. With three decades of experience in critical environments, we know first-hand that without skilled FM support, data centre growth cannot be sustained.

Data centres are expanding at an unprecedented speed. The challenge is not simply building them but coordinating multiple suppliers and systems while ensuring seamless operations at scale. For FM, this is both the risk and the reward. Those providers who bring multi-disciplinary expertise — spanning technical cleaning, energy optimisation, and predictive maintenance — will emerge as the true strategic partners in this boom.

Yet the pressures are mounting. Engineering skills shortages are worsening, while carbon accountability is becoming a defining test. The spotlight on energy consumption is relentless: cooling systems alone can consume more than a third of a facility’s total power. Providers unable to deliver measurable gains in sustainability will struggle to stay relevant.

 

Picture: a photograph of Richard Sykes

 

Here, ESG becomes the differentiator. Clients will no longer be satisfied with standard compliance. They will expect suppliers who can strengthen their own reporting and demonstrate tangible progress against climate targets. Cost and efficiency will matter, but the ultimate deciding factor may be how convincingly partners can reduce the environmental footprint of digital expansion. In short, strong ESG credentials are no longer a “nice to have” — they are a licence to operate.

With the Tech Prosperity Deal promising to fund significant numbers of new data centres; involvement during the construction phase is vital. Air contamination is the sworn enemy of data storage. Microscopic dust and debris can compromise performance and lead to unscheduled downtime — and in this environment, even half an hour offline can result in eye-watering costs. 

This is why early FM involvement is vital. A meticulous builders’ clean reduces the risk of operational headaches later. The work goes far beyond what meets the eye: targeting subfloors, overhead voids, and the smallest particles that could jeopardise air quality.

Industry accreditations provide a baseline, but what really matters is technical precision and an intimate understanding of the high-stakes environment data centres present. Thorough builder and post-construction cleaning provides the contamination-free foundation on which resilience depends, giving operators confidence that new facilities are fit for purpose from day one.

If the UK is to deliver on its “AI Superpower” ambitions, the supporting workforce must evolve in parallel. The data centre sector demands both traditional engineering depth — in areas like high-voltage systems and cooling — and cutting-edge digital expertise in analytics, cyber-aware maintenance, and compliance.

Redundancy planning is another non-negotiable. Back-up systems, failover processes, and fault tolerance must be designed, tested, and maintained by FM teams with the specialist knowledge to ensure that no single point of failure can bring operations to a halt.

Meeting this demand will require long-term commitment to apprenticeships, retraining, and collaboration with technical education providers. This is not just about plugging skills gaps. It is about creating a pipeline of high-quality careers that reinforce FM’s role as an enabler of national competitiveness.

 

Preparing for What Comes Next

 

There are already voices suggesting that the AI investment cycle could overheat, with capacity expanding faster than demand. Whether that proves true or not, the lesson for FM is clear: resilience depends on adaptability. Plans must anticipate growth but also allow for reconfiguration and repurposing should market conditions shift.

Fortunately, the skills and systems honed in data centres are transferable. The same disciplines that keep servers online are increasingly vital in sectors such as life sciences, healthcare, and the wider built environment. FM providers who design for scalability and sustainability will retain relevance, whatever the pace of AI adoption.

The Tech Prosperity Deal may be the trigger, but the real test is whether FM seizes this moment to become a genuine strategic enabler of the digital economy. Reliability, sustainability, and efficiency are converging into a single expectation — and FM is the thread that binds them together.

Historically, FM has operated in the background, keeping buildings safe, clean, and functional. In the era of AI and data, it is stepping decisively into the foreground. Clients no longer want contractors; they want collaborators who align with their ESG strategies, reduce operational risks, and unlock long-term efficiency.

The opportunity for FM is immense. Those who embrace innovation, invest in people, and embed sustainability at their core will not only ride the data centre wave, but help shape the UK’s digital future.

Picture: a photograph showing a dark data centre aisle with rows of server racks illuminated by bright lights. Image Credit: ABM

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 29 September 2025

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