Scotland’s digital infrastructure is growing fast. From data centres powering businesses to labs and offices driving innovation, demand for resilient, modern systems has never been higher. But growth without skills creates fragility. Resilience is not just about buildings or technology — it is about people.
Infrastructure is expanding, the energy transition is accelerating, and climate commitments are reshaping priorities. Yet the workforce to maintain it all is struggling to keep pace.
Key Takeaways
Scotland’s infrastructure, particularly data centres, is expanding rapidly.
A widening skills gap threatens resilience and operational continuity.
True resilience depends on people — confidence, mindset, and training.
Collaboration between government, industry, and organisations like Asanti is essential.
Without urgent investment in skills, Scotland risks falling short of its ambitions.
Data Centres: The Digital Backbone
Data centres are now critical to almost every sector, from banking to healthcare. Yet many organisations still underestimate their exposure. True resilience means continuous operations despite cyber threats, power failures, or climate events.
The skills gap is particularly acute here. “You can be very competent building houses, but once you get to data centres where everything is critical, it’s a different skill, a different requirement.”
“The recognition of data centres as Critical National Infrastructure is a clear signal of their importance to our daily lives. From banking to staying in contact with each other, all depend on the availability of data centres,” says Emma Lauchlan, Marketing Director at Asanti.
Pharma and Life Sciences: Regulated, Complex, Growing
Scotland’s life sciences sector is thriving. Pharma and biotech businesses are expanding quickly, supported by investment from the Scottish National Investment Bank and research partnerships across the country. But growth also brings demands for compliant, secure, and always-on environments.
The risks here are not just operational. Downtime in these sectors can undermine patient safety and regulatory compliance. A lack of trained staff is a real threat to both innovation and delivery.
Scotland’s thriving life sciences sector relies on compliant, secure, and always-on environments. Downtime can threaten both innovation and patient safety.
“Asanti’s UK colocation facilities allow businesses to comply with UK sovereignty requirements, ensuring that data remains within the jurisdiction and under UK legal protections. Our solutions are designed with resilience and robust business continuity measures in place.”
Hybrid working has also made offices, universities, and public networks mission-critical. Disruption from cyberattacks or extreme weather affects communities and the wider economy.
Skills: The Missing Link
Infrastructure may be expanding, but the pool of trained engineers is not. Closing this gap requires investment in training aligned with the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, covering resilience to weather, water safety, and climate change.
Resilience depends on culture as much as systems. The advice for future engineers is clear – keep learning and never get to the point where you feel, ‘I’ve done my academics, I’m done.’ You’ve got to evolve with the way the world is working.
Preparing for risks — from climate change to cyberattacks — will define Scotland’s resilience in a net-zero, data-driven future.
Scotland at a Crossroads
Scotland’s digital transformation spans broadband, data centres, 5G, transport, and smart water systems. Yet without skilled people to operate them, progress may stall.
Resilience is as much about people as systems. With the right investment in skills, partnerships, and secure operations, Scotland can lead not only in building infrastructure but in nurturing the expertise to sustain it.
