The government’s recent decision to designate data centers as Critical National Infrastructure is a testament to the growing demand for data — the new oil of the digital economy — and eminent need for further investment in the sector. The interdependent nature of data center operations comes with unique challenges that can carry detrimental chain reactions across industries, environments, and local infrastructures. The Compute Infrastructure team is researching the current initiatives available in the UK that public authorities can leverage to fulfill the bifurcated responsibility of attracting foreign investments while serving the locals’ interests. Covering different technical layers behind data centres, power supply, waste heat usage, retrofitting, and land use, the report aims to unpack their nuanced technologies and how they can fit into existing policies to build a data centre ecosystem.