DataVita

The Bank has invested £35m as part of a £300m debt facility to expand AI data centre capacity in North Lanarkshire.

DataVita has secured a c.£300m debt facility, supported by a £202m National Wealth Fund guarantee, to expand its existing DV1 data centre and build a new facility, DV3, within the North Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone. Co-investment has come from a syndicate of lenders including ING, ABN AMRO, Santander, and Siemens Financial Services.

See our news release here

About DataVita

DataVita has been part of Scotland’s digital infrastructure for more than ten years and is the country’s largest independent data centre developer and operator. The company delivers AI infrastructure end to end, utilising low carbon electricity, data centres, sovereign cloud and connectivity through to the AI platforms its customers run. Its customers include central government, local authorities and universities, which rely on DataVita to keep critical national workloads on sovereign UK infrastructure. Earlier this year, DataVita’s North Lanarkshire site was awarded Scotland’s first AI Growth Zone designation, recognising the company’s role in building the next generation of UK AI infrastructure.

Why we invested

Our investment in DataVita aligns with our innovation mission to scale up innovation and technology, for a more competitive and productive economy.

The financing will support the delivery of Scotland’s first AI data centres within a designated AI Growth Zone, strengthening sovereign AI capability and supporting economic growth across the Glasgow City Region. The development of DV1 and DV3 represents the first phase of a larger planned data centre campus, helping to establish North Lanarkshire as a key hub for AI infrastructure in the UK.

The two developments financed through the facility are expected to create around 600 jobs during construction and approximately 100 permanent high-skilled roles once operational, delivering long-term economic and employment benefits to the region.

“This investment marks a milestone in the creation of Scotland’s first AI Growth Zone in North Lanarkshire. I welcome the economic growth it is set to deliver across the region – including more than 3,400 new jobs and private investment totalling more than £8 billion.

“The Scottish Government’s AI Strategy sets out a clear plan to harness the economic and social benefits of AI to help ensure we translate our innovation and expertise into more businesses, jobs and investment.

“We will continue to work closely with DataVita and Growth Zone partners to realise the full economic and employment opportunities of this investment over the coming years.”

Stephen Flynn

The Scottish Government’s Economy Secretary

Key Information

Key Mission

Net Zero

Amount Invested

£35m

Location

Glasgow

Co-investors

National Wealth Fund, ING, Barclays and Santander

Key Quote

Robin Tayal, Investment Director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, said: "As demand for AI infrastructure continues to accelerate, there is an opportunity to build the digital foundations needed to support innovation, attract investment and strengthen economic resilience. DataVita is playing a leading role in developing that capability, setting the pace in a strategically important and fast-growing sector."

Ross Dobbie, Investment Director at the Scottish National Investment Bank, said: "This financing brings together a strong commercial proposition with clear long-term strategic value. DataVita has established itself as Scotland's largest independent data centre operator, and we are pleased to support infrastructure that can underpin economic growth while helping expand the country's sovereign digital capability."

Datavita