The future of Europe’s digital infrastructure will not be defined by ambition alone. Demand is accelerating, driven by artificial intelligence (AI), 5G/6G connectivity, cloud computing and high-performance computing (HPC). The advantage belongs to those who can deliver with certainty.
Based on insights from 700 senior decision-makers across operators and construction contractors in the UK and Europe, RLB’s Data Centre Trends Report 2026 reveals the sector is preparing for unprecedented expansion, and facing intensifying delivery, power and supply chain constraints at the same time.
Read the Data Centre Trends Report 2026.
Why is execution risk rising as data centre growth accelerates?
Across the UK and Europe, operators expect to commission 42% more data centre capacity in 2026 than in 2025, representing a 319% increase in commissioned capacity since 2023. Yet the industry is under mounting pressure.
The defining challenges are clear:
- Access to power remains the single biggest barrier to expansion.
- Permitting delays are lengthening data centre project delivery timelines.
- Supply chain volatility is driving higher prices and longer lead times.
- AI-driven workloads are pushing power density, cooling and design complexity.
- Skilled labour shortages are increasing delivery and commissioning risk.
At the same time, investors, occupiers and regulators are less tolerant of delays. In a market shaped by penalty-driven contracts and tight service-level agreements, missed milestones now carry material, financial and reputational consequences.
How can data centre developers deliver digital infrastructure projects with certainty?
RLB supports data centre operators, developers and investors across the entire asset life cycle, helping them translate ambition into predictable delivery.
Our work focuses on the challenges highlighted in the report, and the practical actions required to overcome them.
Areas where we help clients:
- De-risk power and permitting early: Through data-driven site analysis, grid intelligence and early engagement with utilities, improving the likelihood of viable power and consent outcomes.
- Treat energy as infrastructure, not a constraint: Supporting integrated energy strategies, including private Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), microgrids, co-location and phased power delivery models that balance cost, resilience and sustainability.
- Strengthen supply chains under pressure: Using early procurement, framework agreements, risk-weighted cost planning and supplier diversification to reduce exposure to long-lead equipment and price volatility.
- Design for flexibility at scale: Enabling intelligent standardisation and modularisation while maintaining adaptability for evolving AI power density and liquid-cooling requirements.
- Improve predictability through information management: Embedding structured data, digital visibility and life cycle cost management to support decision-making, ESG reporting and investor confidence.
The result: greater certainty of delivery in a market defined by complexity and competition.
What evidence and industry insights shape the Data Centre Trends Report?
The report combines:
- Survey insights from 700 senior executives across the UK and Europe.
- In-depth interviews with five industry subject matter experts.
- Perspectives from leading operators, contractors, investors and advisors.
- RLB’s hands-on experience delivering complex, power-constrained data centre projects across Europe.
The findings confirm a clear shift: collaboration, industrialised delivery and integrated energy strategies are no longer optional, they are commercial imperatives.
What do these data centre trends mean for developers and investors?
Whether you are planning new capacity, retrofitting existing assets or reassessing your delivery model, the message is the same:
The advantage belongs to those who can scale with certainty.
Talk to RLB to learn more.
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