The North East of England is at the epicentre of a new industrial revolution, powered not by coal, but by advanced technology.
A landmark series of investments, potentially totalling over £30 billion and more than 5,000 jobs, is set to transform the region into a global hub for Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data centre infrastructure.
This initiative, driven by a transatlantic partnership including NVIDIA, OpenAI, Microsoft, and Blackstone, is establishing a new "AI Growth Zone" across key sites in the North East.
However, beyond the headlines lies a formidable industrial and engineering challenge. These hyperscale data centres and AI supercomputers are not merely buildings filled with servers; they are complex, integrated industrial plants.
Their success will be determined not by the silicon alone, but by the sophisticated process control, automation, and validated systems that underpin their physical operation — power, cooling, and digital security.
The performance and uptime of the multi-billion-pound IT hardware are entirely dependent on the flawless operation of this Operational Technology (OT).
As a specialist in industrial automation for the UK's most highly regulated sectors, Industrial Technology Systems (ITS) is uniquely positioned to provide the critical OT expertise required to turn this ambitious vision into a secure, efficient, and compliant reality.
The North East's Strategic Advantage
The selection of the North East for this landmark investment is no accident. It is the result of a strategic confluence of geographical, infrastructural, and human capital advantages.
The region offers unparalleled access to green energy from major offshore wind projects like Dogger Bank, vital for powering these energy-intensive facilities sustainably and future clean energy investment into new nuclear.
It is also a premier UK connectivity hub, with subsea fibre optic cables providing high-capacity, low-latency data routes to North America and Europe that bypass the congested London corridor.
This is supported by a strong talent pipeline from world-class universities like Newcastle, Northumbria, Durham and Teesside, which are actively developing AI-specific curricula and research centres.
The government's "AI Growth Zone" designation acts as a powerful catalyst, with potential to grant fast-track planning permission and high-priority grid access to de-risk the enormous capital investment required.
The Bedrock of AI: Industrial Process Control and Validation
Translating the vision of an AI-powered future into a physical reality requires a foundational layer of sophisticated industrial process control and automation.
The operational parameters of a hyperscale data centre are non-negotiable; the stability of the power grid and the precise control of temperature and humidity are paramount to protecting the hardware investment.
This is the domain of ITS, where expertise honed in the UK's most demanding sectors becomes directly transferable and essential:
Precision Control for Mission-Critical Operations: Our core expertise in Process Control Engineering, developed in the Power & Energy sector, including the nuclear industry, provides the knowledge to deliver the robustness, redundancy, and 24/7/365 reliability required for this critical infrastructure.
Validation and Compliance in a Regulated Environment: The data centres within the AI Growth Zone are designated as critical infrastructure, subjecting them to intense regulatory scrutiny. Our specialised Validation Services, particularly Computer Systems Validation (CSV), are directly analogous to the processes used in the pharmaceutical sector. We provide the auditable, documentary evidence that all control systems are robust, secure, and function exactly as designed—a critical requirement for managing sovereign workloads for clients like OpenAI.
Data, Visibility, and Efficiency: To manage a vast industrial campus effectively and meet sustainability targets, operators need a holistic, real-time view of every critical asset. Our capabilities in delivering Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES), Management Information Systems (MIS), and Digital Twins provide this essential "single pane of glass" visibility. These systems enable predictive maintenance, optimise energy consumption, and allow operators to simulate failure scenarios without affecting the live environment, drastically reducing operational risk.
OT Cyber Security for Critical Infrastructure Resilience: The convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) in modern data centers creates a new and critical attack surface. The very systems that ensure operational uptime - Building Management Systems (BMS), power distribution, and cooling controls - are increasingly connected to networks for remote monitoring and efficiency. Attackers can use these OT entry points as a beachhead to "land and expand" into the core IT infrastructure, bypassing traditional cybersecurity defences. Our expertise in cyber security for OT directly addresses this challenge. We apply proven industrial security principles such as network segmentation, secure remote access, and threat detection to the data center's physical plant, ensuring that the foundational infrastructure is as resilient to cyber threats as the digital assets it is built to protect.
Local Partners for a Global Ambition
While the investment for the AI Growth Zone comes from global giants, the physical construction, systems integration, and long-term maintenance will be executed on the ground locally in the North East.
This requires local partners who possess both world-class technical discipline and an intimate understanding of the UK's regulatory and engineering landscape.
At ITS, our business is built on serving clients in industries where failure is not an option - life sciences & pharmaceutical, manufacturing, energy & power, and nuclear.
The experience, methodologies, and culture of quality developed in these demanding environments are precisely what is needed to ensure the success of the AI Growth Zone.
To de-risk investment and ensure the operational excellence of this critical AI infrastructure requires engaging with specialists who understand the unique requirements and challenges; there couldn’t be a better region to undertake this than the North East.
The successful delivery of this AI Growth Zone is a once-in-a-generation opportunity that extends far beyond the primary investors. It represents a call to action for the entire North East supply chain.
From construction and engineering firms to skills providers and logistics experts, the success of this new industrial revolution will be built on the collective strength and innovation of our regional businesses.
This is a moment for collaboration, for the region to unite its rich industrial heritage with its bright technological future; This comes following earlier announcements of future nuclear on Teesside, which will form a critical vector in clean energy to support the new, power hungry, data centres.
By working together, we can build a robust and resilient ecosystem that not only supports this monumental undertaking but also secures a legacy of prosperity and high-skilled employment for generations to come.
As a dedicated partner in this ecosystem, ITS is ready to play its part, and we encourage all our fellow regional suppliers to engage, collaborate, and help power the North East's new era of innovation.