But growth without skills creates fragility. Resilience is not just about buildings or technology. It is about people.
And just because you’re competent today doesn’t mean you’re going to be competent tomorrow. You’ve got to continually evolve.
That truth sits at the heart of Scotland’s challenge. Infrastructure is expanding, the energy transition is accelerating, and climate commitments are forcing new priorities. Yet, the workforce to maintain it all is struggling to keep pace.
Key Takeaways
● Scotland’s critical infrastructure is expanding rapidly, especially for data centres.
● A growing skills gap threatens resilience, with too few engineers trained for critical data centre roles.
● Resilience is about people as much as systems – confidence, mindset, and ongoing training are vital.
● Data centres highlight the sharpest skills divide, demanding expertise far beyond traditional IT roles.
● Collaboration between government, industry, and organisations like Asanti is essential to build a future-ready workforce.
● Without urgent investment in skills and training, Scotland risks falling short of its infrastructure ambitions.
Data Centres: The Digital Backbone
Data centres are no longer hidden facilities in the background. They are the backbone of almost every sector in Scotland, from financial services to healthcare.
Many organisations think they have resilience in place, when in reality they are still exposed. True resilience means continuous operations in the face of cyber threats, power failures, or climate events.
This is also where the skills gap shows most sharply. The leap from operating in an office environment to a data centre is not just a technical step. It requires a completely different mindset. “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.
Office Environments Are Critical Too
Even the office is no longer a simple workplace. Hybrid work and digital technologies mean that mission-critical applies to wherever a business cannot afford to be offline.
That includes offices, universities, and government systems that rely on secure networks. Disruption, whether from cyberattacks, extreme weather or system failure, impacts not just individual organisations but entire communities and the wider economy.
Skills: The Missing Link
All of this circles back to Scotland’s biggest challenge: skills. Infrastructure may be expanding, but the pool of trained engineers is not. The challenge is both technical and cultural. Too often, organisations assume existing trades can simply step up into critical roles. But it’s a different skill, it’s a different requirement, and you need to have a different mindset.
It is also about confidence. Engineers need to be trusted to make the right call when safety is at stake.
Closing this gap will take investment decisions that prioritise training and development, as well as alignment with the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, which places emphasis on weather resilience, water industry safety, and responding to the changing climate.
Collaboration: Building Resilience Together
Resilience is not only about systems. It is about culture and collaboration. And the advice for the next generation of engineers is clear: keep learning. 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.”
That includes preparing for the risks posed by climate change, cyberattacks and the demands of a net-zero economy.
Scotland at a Crossroads
Scotland’s critical infrastructure is rapidly evolving in the digital age. High-capacity broadband networks, data centres, and 5G connectivity are forming the backbone of a smarter, more connected nation. Digital technologies are transforming energy systems, enabling smarter grid management and the integration of renewables.
Transport networks are becoming increasingly data-driven, with digital signalling, real-time analytics, and intelligent mobility solutions improving connectivity and safety. Meanwhile, smart water systems and urban IoT initiatives are helping Scottish cities and communities adapt to climate change, improve efficiency, and enhance quality of life.
Yet without the skilled people to operate these systems, progress could stall.
Resilience is as much about people as it is about systems. Without enough trained professionals, Scotland risks falling short on delivery. But with the right investment decisions in training, partnerships, and secure operations, Scotland can lead not only in building infrastructure, but in developing the culture and expertise that sustain it.
“Asanti is fairly unique in that we are one of only a few data centre providers with UK-wide capability via our 6 UK data centres. We take our role as a critical national infrastructure provider with pride and are continually working to improve our services, with a huge focus on efficiency, security and resilience, whilst ensuring we respect the environment,” says Emma.
