Zumtobel upgrades lighting at London data centre

Zumtobel, an Austrian company specialising in professional indoor and outdoor lighting, has completed a lighting upgrade at Global Switch’s London East data centre campus in Docklands, supporting the site’s ongoing refurbishment programme for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads. The project covered multiple floors across the facility, including data halls, plant areas, offices, and a liquid cooling demonstration suite. The refurbishment programme is focused on improving flexibility, operational resilience, and energy efficiency as demand for AI-ready infrastructure continues to grow. Zumtobel worked alongside consultants including Hilson Moran, Burns & McDonnell, and AFK Studios, while Datalec Precision Installations carried out installation works. Lighting designed for AI-ready infrastructure The lighting installation was designed to improve visibility within the high-density data halls while supporting energy efficiency and long-term operational requirements. Zumtobel deployed its TECTON continuous-row lighting system across the halls, using split-lens optics to improve vertical illuminance at rack level for maintenance and operational tasks. Emergency lighting was integrated with the eBOX monitoring platform, providing automated testing and reporting functions designed for mission-critical environments. Plant areas, offices, and shared spaces were fitted with AMPHIBIA luminaires, selected for durability in technical environments, while the LITECOM lighting management platform enables centralised monitoring and control. Future refurbishment phases on levels eight and nine are expected to include TECTON II lighting, which supports faster installation through a modular 'plug-and-play' design. Ken Knight, Head of Data Centres - UK & Ireland at Zumtobel Group, comments, “Data centre environments place very specific demands on lighting, from vertical illuminance at rack level to reliability and energy efficiency. "Our role was to translate those requirements into a scalable solution that could be implemented across multiple floors while supporting Global Switch’s ongoing expansion and innovation strategy.” Matt Perrier Flint, Director - UK & Ireland at DPI, adds, “Delivering a project of this scale required close coordination between all parties. The modular design of the Zumtobel lighting system simplified installation and helped maintain programme certainty, while the collaborative approach ensured that technical requirements were clearly understood at every stage.” Lighting a liquid cooling demonstration suite Level 10 of the facility includes a liquid cooling demonstration suite designed by AFK Studios, showcasing technologies intended to support higher-density AI and HPC deployments. The lighting scheme was developed to support visibility, operational safety, and flexibility within the technical demonstration environment. According to Global Switch, the upgraded lighting infrastructure supports safer rack maintenance, lower energy consumption through LED technology and intelligent controls, simplified future upgrades, and improved emergency lighting monitoring. Derek Allen, Group Operations Director at Global Switch, notes, “Across our global portfolio, operational resilience and flexibility are fundamental. The lighting strategy implemented at our London data centre supports safe, efficient operations while giving us the adaptability required to meet evolving customer demands. "It forms part of the wider infrastructure platform that enables us to support increasingly complex AI and high-performance computing deployments.” Emily Clark, Global Switch, explains, “As our London data centre continues to evolve to support the demands of the most powerful AI and high-performance workloads, it was important that the supporting infrastructure could match that pace of innovation. "The lighting solution delivered by Zumtobel provides the performance, flexibility, and reliability we require across both operational data halls and demonstration spaces.” For more from Zumtobel, click here.

'DC construction enters a new era of delivery pressure'

In this exclusive article for DCNN, Dave Wagner, VP of Product Marketing at Newforma, examines how AI-driven demand, compressed timelines, and constantly evolving designs are forcing construction teams to rethink how data centre projects are coordinated and delivered: Why construction teams are rewriting the playbook The data centre boom has pushed construction into unfamiliar territory. Demand keeps climbing, driven by cloud computing, AI workloads, and real-time digital services. Analysts expect the global data centre market to pass $500 billion (£369 billion) within the decade. That growth sounds like opportunity; on the ground, it feels like pressure. Project teams face a new reality: Designs shift mid-build, stakeholders span continents, precision requirements leave no room for error, timelines shrink, and the old workflows do not hold up under these conditions. The solution isn’t just to work harder; it’s to work differently. The golden thread is under strain The “golden thread” promises a clear, traceable record of decisions from design through to delivery. In data centre projects, that thread gets pulled in every direction. Designs evolve while construction is already underway and a change in server density drives new cooling requirements. That then triggers updates across mechanical and electrical systems, while documentation must reflect those changes in real time or the thread breaks. Carl Veillette, Chief Product Officer at Newforma, sees this first hand, stating, “On data centre projects, the golden thread is not a static record; it is a live system. If it falls out of sync with reality, the risk compounds fast.” When information lags, teams build off outdated assumptions. That leads to rework, delays, and finger-pointing. Maintaining continuity of information is no longer a compliance exercise, but a delivery requirement. Design does not sit still Traditional construction relies on a stable design phase. Data centres ignore that sequence as technology advances too quickly. A facility planned around one generation of hardware often needs to support the next before completion. GPU-heavy AI workloads increase power density while liquid cooling replaces air in certain zones and redundancy strategies evolve. Each shift forces coordination across disciplines:• Electrical systems must handle higher loads.• Cooling infrastructure must adapt to new methods.• Structural layouts must support revised equipment footprints. These are not minor tweaks; they affect core systems. Carl puts it plainly, “You are designing for a future state that keeps changing. The teams that succeed are the ones that accept that volatility and build processes around it.” That means parallel workflows. Design, coordination, and construction happen at the same time, whilst decisions move faster, often with incomplete data. Teams need immediate visibility into the latest information to stay aligned. Precision, security, and uptime raise the stakes Data centres operate under strict conditions. Downtime is not tolerated and systems must perform on day one. This drives extreme precision: • Redundant power systems must function without failure.• Cooling must maintain exact environmental conditions.• Security measures must meet strict standards.• System integration must be flawless. At the same time, security concerns limit information access. Teams must share data widely enough to stay aligned while also restricting sensitive details. The margin for error disappears. According to Uptime Institute, over 60% of data centre outages cost more than $100,000 (£74,000), with a growing share exceeding $1 million (£739,000). That risk shapes every decision. Teams cannot afford mistakes caused by poor coordination or outdated information. Speed to market is the new benchmark The race to bring capacity online has compressed schedules across the industry. Hyperscale operators push for faster delivery to meet demand, and delays translate into lost revenue and competitive disadvantage. This pressure reshapes project timelines: • Design cycles shorten.• Construction phases overlap.• Procurement accelerates.• Commissioning windows tighten. There is no buffer for inefficiency. Rework becomes expensive and miscommunication becomes costly. Carl highlights the impact, noting, “Speed to market is not a goal anymore; it is the baseline. The only way to hit it is to remove friction from how teams share and act on information.” A shift towards structured collaboration The common thread across these challenges is information flow. Projects succeed when the right data reaches the right people at the right time. That requires a shift in how teams manage project information: • Centralised access to current documents and models• Clear tracking of RFIs, submittals, and decisions• Real-time updates across all stakeholders• A complete audit trail for accountability and risk management This is where platforms like Newforma play a role. They support the golden thread by keeping project information connected, traceable, and accessible. The impact shows up in reduced risk and faster delivery. Teams spend less time searching for information and more time acting on it. Coordination improves and errors drop, whilst projects move forward with fewer disruptions. The new standard Data centre construction has set a new standard for the industry. It demands speed without sacrificing precision. It requires flexibility without losing control. It depends on collaboration at a scale most projects never reach. These conditions will not ease, as demand will keep rising and technology will keep evolving. The teams that adapt their workflows to this reality will keep pace. Those that do not will fall behind. The playbook has already changed. The only question is who is still using the old one.

Lightpath announces new long-haul US fibre route

Lightpath, a New York-based fibre network and connectivity provider, has announced plans to build a new long-haul fibre route in the US, connecting Columbus, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois. The approximately 392-mile (630-kilometre) route will include 327 miles (526 kilometres) of newly constructed underground multi-conduit fibre infrastructure spanning three US states. According to Lightpath, the project will be delivered in phases, with full end-to-end completion targeted for the end of 2028. The company says the route will connect two rapidly growing North American data centre markets and will incorporate eight LightCube Data Centers facilities, including seven new sites. Lightpath states that the infrastructure will support services including conduit access, dark fibre, colocation, high-capacity wavelengths, and connectivity services for hyperscale, carrier, and enterprise customers. New long-haul route for AI infrastructure growth Chris Morley, CEO of Lightpath, comments, “The Columbus-to-Chicago corridor reflects sustained hyperscale demand for high-capacity, long-haul fibre built to production-grade standards. “Connecting two of the world’s fastest-growing data centre markets on our own, purpose-built infrastructure positions Lightpath to support the next generation of AI and cloud workloads at scale.” According to the company, the new route builds on existing fibre infrastructure in Columbus and follows its acquisition of a 323-mile (520-kilometre) fibre system between New York and Ashburn in late 2024. The southern section of the route, connecting Columbus and South Bend, is expected to be the first phase brought online. Tim Haverkate, Chief Commercial Officer at Lightpath, suggests, “Building this corridor from the ground up - on a timeline driven by a real anchor award - demonstrates what our team is capable of delivering.” Lightpath says it is also assessing additional in-line amplifier locations along the route to support future capacity expansion. For more from Lightpath, click here.

Airsys opens global HQ campus in South Carolina

Airsys, a provider of data centre cooling systems, has today opened a new global headquarters campus in Woodruff, South Carolina, USA, to expand manufacturing and engineering capacity for AI and data centre cooling technologies. The 60-acre (24.28-hectare) site will act as the company’s global hub for high-efficiency cooling systems supporting AI, edge computing, and digital infrastructure applications. According to Airsys, the development represents a $60 million (£44 million) investment and is expected to create 215 jobs in the region. Manufacturing operations at the site are scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2027. The company says the facility will support the production and development of air, liquid, and hybrid cooling technologies designed for high-density computing environments. Facility to support AI cooling demand Yunshui Chen, founder and CEO of Airsys, says, “Today marks a major milestone for Airsys as we establish our global headquarters here in Woodruff, South Carolina. “This investment reflects our commitment to advancing cooling innovation across the entire spectrum of mission-critical infrastructure.” The company states that the new campus has been designed to support growing demand for thermal management systems linked to AI infrastructure and large-scale data centre deployments. Airsys says the site will also support work related to Power Compute Effectiveness (PCE), a framework focused on maximising the proportion of data centre power available for IT workloads after cooling and electrical overheads are accounted for. The project team for the campus included Choate Construction as general contractor and LS3P as architect. According to the company, localising manufacturing and engineering operations in South Carolina is intended to improve supply chain resilience and support North American customers more directly. For more from Airsys, click here.

Delta opens Germany R&D centre for AI power systems

Delta Electronics, a Taiwanese manufacturer of power electronics, energy management, and smart green solutions, has opened a new research and development centre in Soest, Germany, expanding its engineering capabilities for AI data centre technologies across the EMEA region. The new facility will focus on high-efficiency power infrastructure for AI and high-performance computing (HPC) data centres, alongside electric vehicle (EV) power systems. According to Delta, the site includes 7,500m² of laboratory space and 2,500m² of office space, with capacity for up to 250 employees. The company says the centre will support development work related to 800V DC server power supplies and EV power systems, as demand for higher-density AI infrastructure increases. Facility targets LEED Gold certification Peter Ide, Managing Director of Delta Energy Systems, comments, “Soest has been a vital innovation engine for Delta in EMEA for decades, and this expansion reflects our commitment to strengthening localised R&D capabilities in Europe. “It enables closer collaboration with customers and faster development of advanced and sustainable solutions for data centre and automotive applications.” Delta currently employs around 450 staff at its Soest site, which acts as a regional hub for power and charging technologies. The company says the new building has been designed to meet LEED Gold certification standards and incorporates on-site renewable energy and energy storage systems. These include a photovoltaic installation with more than 1MW of installed capacity, battery energy storage rated at 2.5MW and 5MWh, heat pumps, and energy management systems. According to Delta, waste heat generated during product testing will also be reused to heat the building. The site additionally includes a DC fast charging station and more than 60 AC EV charging points for employees. Delta says the Soest operation continues to work with universities across Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark to support engineering recruitment and research collaboration. For more from Delta Electronics, click here.

Andalusia greenlights €1.26bn campus at Málaga TechPark

The Andalusian regional government in southern Spain has formally declared a major new data centre development a "project of strategic interest", clearing the path for a €1.257 billion (£1 billion) facility to be built within the expansion zone of Málaga TechPark. The announcement was made on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, following a meeting of the Consejo de Gobierno, the regional cabinet of the Junta de Andalucía. The project is being promoted by Saltburn Holding, a company linked to brothers Rafael and José Benjumea Benjumea - grandsons of the founder of the Abengoa industrial group - and headquartered in Madrid. The Benjumea brothers have also been active in other digital infrastructure ventures, including Aquilon Project Iberia and CSM Holding, positioning them as increasingly significant players in Spain's fast-growing data centre sector. Facility specifications The proposed campus will occupy a 71,415m² plot within the SUS CA-23 sector of Málaga TechPark's expansion area, in the Campanillas district on the city's western fringe. The facility is designed to meet Tier III / Tier III+ reliability standards and will deliver an IT power capacity of 100 MW, with a total electrical draw of 150 MW, placing it firmly in the hyperscale-adjacent category. Intended workloads span data storage and processing, artificial intelligence inference and training, cloud services, and digital connectivity infrastructure. Construction is scheduled to commence in 2027, with the strategic interest declaration valid through to 31 December 2031, providing a regulatory framework to cover the full development and early operational phases. The development is projected to create 710 direct jobs during the construction phase, with a further 254 permanent positions once the facility enters operation. Given typical multiplier effects for large-scale infrastructure projects, the indirect employment and supply-chain impact on the wider Málaga economy is expected to be substantially higher. The declaration of strategic interest falls under Decreto-ley 4/2019, Andalusia's framework for administrative simplification and the promotion of strategic economic initiatives. It activates the regional government's Unidad Aceleradora de Proyectos (UAP - Project Acceleration Unit), designed to streamline permitting and reduce the bureaucratic timeline for large-scale investments. The project file has received favourable assessments from the departments responsible for industry, territorial planning, environmental sustainability, agriculture, culture, and public health, alongside a technical endorsement from the UAP itself. Málaga as a digital hub in southern Europe The Málaga TechPark - also known as the Parque Tecnológico de Andalucía (PTA) - has been the anchor of the city's technology economy since opening in 1992. Today, it hosts more than 650 companies across ICT, cybersecurity, fintech, and research and development, employing over 20,000 people and contributing around €4.8 billion (£4.1 billion) to Andalusia's GDP. International tenants include Google, Agilent Technologies, and TDK, among others. The Saltburn Holding campus would be the second major data centre to be announced in Andalusia in quick succession. Construction is already under way on Sierra DC's macrocentre in Escúzar, Granada - a project backed by Swedish capital with an investment approaching €1 billion (£865 million) - signalling that the region is beginning to attract the kind of hyperscale-scale commitments that have so far concentrated in Madrid, Barcelona, and the Iberian Atlantic coast. However, despite the scale of investor interest, electrical grid constraints remain a structural challenge for Andalusia's data centre ambitions. Regional President Juanma Moreno has publicly acknowledged delays to at least one technology project in Málaga due to grid connection difficulties and insufficient power supply. Industry analysts note that the region's grid infrastructure has been deprioritised in negotiations between the Junta and the central government over Spain's new energy planning framework, with data centres placed at the bottom of the list of infrastructure requests. For the Saltburn Holding project, a planned electrical consumption of 150 MW makes grid access a critical dependency. How quickly those connections can be secured will likely determine whether the 2027 construction start holds.

BCS Consultancy expands into Southern Europe

BCS Consultancy, a global data centre consultancy, has expanded its presence in Southern Europe through two senior appointments and a new data centre project in Barcelona. As part of this move, the company has appointed Alberto Modrego Eisman and Rhoana Zanotelli as Senior Consultants to support growth across the Iberian market. According to BCS, the appointments strengthen its ability to support clients across the data centre development lifecycle in Spain and wider Southern Europe. Alberto Modrego Eisman joins the company with experience in cost management and large-scale developments across Spain and the EMEA region, including previous roles at JLL. Rhoana Zanotelli previously held senior infrastructure and development roles at Goodman, where she worked on data centre projects across Europe. The Iberian market and a Barcelona data centre project BCS has also secured a data centre development project in Barcelona as part of a wider urban digital infrastructure scheme in the region. The company says it will support the project through key delivery phases as demand for data centre capacity continues to increase across Southern Europe. According to BCS Consultancy’s Q1 Data Centre Commercial Report, the Spanish market has recently moved to a competitive grid access framework using capacity auctions across constrained power nodes in locations including Madrid, Aragón, and Andalusia. The report states that the model prioritises operational readiness and accelerated delivery times for new infrastructure developments. BCS says the Iberian Peninsula continues to attract data centre investment due to lower land costs, renewable energy availability, and the ability to support large-scale AI and GPU-focused facilities. Chris Coward, COO at BCS Consultancy, comments, “Iberia is rapidly becoming one of the most important growth markets for data centre development in Europe. As constraints intensify in traditional hubs, our clients are looking to new regions to scale. "Expanding our presence in Southern Europe allows us to combine local expertise with our pan-European delivery capability, giving clients the clarity and confidence they need to execute complex projects in these emerging markets.” For more from BCS Consultancy, click here.

NEOIX, Hitachi partner on hyperscale data centres

NEOIX, a London-based data centre developer, has signed a memorandum of understanding with energy infrastructure provider Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Vantara, its digital infrastructure arm, to collaborate on the development of AI-ready hyperscale data centres in selected global markets. The agreement combines NEOIX’s data centre development and sustainability experience with infrastructure and digital platform technologies from Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Vantara. According to the companies, the collaboration will focus on developing large-scale data centre campuses designed to support AI, cloud computing, and high-performance workloads. Under the agreement, NEOIX will lead hyperscale campus development, including site design, scalability, and sustainability planning. Hitachi Energy will support work related to grid connectivity, renewable energy integration, energy storage, and power infrastructure, while Hitachi Vantara will provide digital infrastructure platforms and storage technologies for operational and business applications. AI infrastructure and energy efficiency Hari Slipicevic, CEO of NEOIX, says, “This partnership with Hitachi represents a powerful alignment of capabilities across energy, digital infrastructure, and development. “At NEOIX, we are focused on building the next generation of AI-ready data centre campuses, designed from the outset to be scalable, sustainable, and deeply integrated with the energy system.” Antonio Marinoni, Senior Business Development Director at Hitachi EMEA Region, adds, “By combining the strengths of Hitachi Energy and Hitachi Vantara, we are pleased to support NEOIX in enabling high-performance, sustainable infrastructure for the AI era. “This collaboration reflects a shared commitment to integrating energy and digital innovation, ensuring that next-generation data centres are not only scalable and resilient, but also aligned with the global transition towards low-carbon infrastructure.” The companies state that the collaboration will initially focus on concept development, reference architectures, and market engagement activities ahead of potential future project delivery. For more from Hitachi, click here.

Kao Data acquires site in Park Royal, West London

Kao Data, a data centre developer and operator, has acquired a 4.7-acre (19,020m²) industrial site in Park Royal, West London, for the development of a new data centre facility. The site, formerly part of the Frogmore Industrial Estate, was acquired from Reassure Limited, part of Legal & General, in March 2026. It is located within the Park Royal area of West London, one of the UK’s largest data centre and cloud computing markets. According to Kao Data, the planned facility will be designed to support AI and advanced computing workloads while targeting high environmental and energy efficiency standards. Plans for the development are currently being prepared in consultation with the Old Oak and Park Royal Development Corporation (OPDC), local authorities, and community stakeholders. Data centre planned for 2029 Kao Data says the new facility is expected to support computing infrastructure used across sectors including life sciences, healthcare research, artificial intelligence, and financial services. David Bloom, founder and Executive Chair of Kao Data, comments, “Today’s data centres are the engine rooms of the digital age, but it’s vital that new developments work hand in hand with local stakeholders and are developed responsibly, with the community front of mind. “Our acquisition of this former industrial site in Park Royal demonstrates our longstanding commitments to sustainable redevelopment, and we’re excited to work closely with the OPDC to continue our expansion in West London.” The company also states that community engagement activities linked to the development will include education and local support initiatives, building on programmes already established at its Harlow, Slough, and Stockport sites. Detailed proposals for the Park Royal development are expected to be submitted during the coming months as part of the formal planning process. Kao Data says the facility is expected to be operational in 2029. For more from Kao Data, click here.

Siemon's DACs, AOCs, and Transceivers: Why validation matters

Siemon's comprehensive range of Direct Attach Cables (DACs), Active Optical Cables (AOCs), and optical transceivers delivers the high-speed interconnects modern data centres demand. Supporting speeds from 10G through to 400G and beyond, these pluggable solutions offer the flexibility and density needed to keep pace with today's AI-driven workloads and mission-critical applications. However, deploying these components without proper validation is a costly risk. Malfunctioning transceivers can cause high bit-error rates, loss of connectivity, slow network performance, and reduced signal strength - yet many discarded transceivers are in perfect working condition, presumed faulty without proper diagnosis. This is where the EXFO FTBx-88480 proves indispensable. Powered by EXFO's iOptics application, it assesses transceiver health in under three minutes, supporting OSFP, QSFP28, QSFP56, SFP28, AOC, and DAC form factors. The result: validated Siemon infrastructure, reduced waste, and lower operational costs. Networks Centre is a distributor for both EXFO and Siemon, and the company says its technical support team would be happy to advise on the right products to meet your requirements. Find out more at Networks Centre's website or get in touch via email at enquiries@networkscentre.com or by phone on +44 (0)1403 754233. For more from Networks Centre, click here.