UK and Nordics top for data centres - C&W

The UK remains the lowest risk European country to locate a data centre, new research from Cushman & Wakefield (C&W) reveals.

The annual Data Centre Risk Index report - published in conjunction with engineering consultants hurleypalmerflatt and risk managers Source8 - evaluates risks likely to affect the successful operation of data centre facilities in 30 global markets.

The report aims to help companies make informed investment decisions about where to locate their data centres to increase efficiency, lower costs and to develop strategies to mitigate anticipated risk.

The UK was ranked second globally on the index behind the United States and was the highest-ranked country among all 27 EU member states.

The report also shows that the Nordics are becoming increasingly popular locations for data centres, thanks to their comparatively low energy unit costs and sophisticated network infrastructures.

The index ranks Sweden as the third-safest place to base a data centre, rising from eighth last year, while Iceland (seventh), Norway (eighth) and Finland (ninth) all feature prominently.

C&W partner Keith Inglis commented: ‘The Nordics must be seen as legitimate locations in the global arena where the latency and regulatory arguments are less important when considering where best to site operations. Going forward we would reasonably expect the region to secure an increased market share but to improve further investment is required in international connectivity.’

‘If the Nordics fail to address this then Germany, the Netherlands and the UK will continue to see the most activity in EMEA.'