ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Richard Sykes, SVP and president of services provider ABM UK & Ireland, explains how the UK-US Tech Prosperity Deal places the cleaning and FM sector at the heart of performance, resilience and compliance in the growing digital economy. 

The UK–US Technology Prosperity Deal announced late last year promises to pour billions into new data-centre infrastructure, strengthening transatlantic collaboration across artificial intelligence. Designed to accelerate breakthroughs in healthcare, cut energy costs and support national security, it will also trigger one of the most intense phases of data-centre construction the UK has ever seen.

For the facilities management (FM) industry - particularly those with specialist cleaning expertise - this represents a defining moment. Every new data centre must operate in an environment of near-surgical precision, where even microscopic dust or debris can compromise airflow, contaminate equipment and trigger costly downtime. Cleaning, therefore, is not a peripheral service; it is the foundation of performance, resilience and compliance in the digital economy.

This surge in data-driven infrastructure creates both opportunity and complexity. Data centres demand a level of cleanliness, technical understanding, and operational discipline unlike any other built environment. Providers with deep expertise in critical cleaning, combined with capabilities in energy optimisation and predictive maintenance, will be at the forefront of supporting this next wave of digital growth.

At ABM, we already service more than 4.5 million square feet of data-centre space annually across the UK and Ireland, supporting over 600 client facilities. With more than three decades of experience in critical environments, we know first-hand that without rigorous cleaning standards and skilled FM teams, the UK’s digital ambitions cannot be sustained.

FMs face intense pressure to cut energy usage and shrink their carbon footprint. The scale of the challenge is enormous – worldwide, the built environment (including buildings, infrastructure and construction) is estimated to generate around 42  per cent of annual global CO? emissions. Of that total, about 27  per cent is attributed to the operational energy use of buildings (heating, cooling, lighting etc).

Yet cleaning and maintenance routines are fast emerging as one of the most visible measures of progress. From chemical reduction and water management to circular-waste strategies, cleaning practices are now a frontline test of an organisation’s ESG maturity. Every product, process and piece of equipment used by cleaning teams carries an environmental cost – from the embodied carbon in consumables to the energy drawn by vacuums and scrubber dryers. Measured properly, the cleaning operation can provide some of the easiest wins in emission reduction, resource efficiency and waste diversion.

Clients will no longer be satisfied with standard compliance. They will expect suppliers who can strengthen their own reporting and demonstrate tangible progress against climate targets. Cost 
and efficiency will matter, but the ultimate deciding factor may be how convincingly partners can reduce the environmental footprint of digital expansion - from the way they clean to how they consume energy.

FMs must demonstrate the ability to implement robust systems to measure and monitor energy and resource use – from smart metres and sub-metres to track electricity, gas, and water, to carbon-accounting tools that quantify emissions by source.

Armed with data, FMs can set clear targets for improvement and benchmark against industry standards or certifications. Quick wins for clients are possible:

• Upgrading lighting to LED
• Optimising HVAC controls
• Re-evaluating waste strategy
• Installing occupancy sensors

But in critical environments, even cleaning innovations can deliver measurable impact - such as the adoption of low-energy HEPA-filtration vacuums, microfibre systems that reduce water use, or robotics that maintain consistency while minimising energy draw. Chemical-free cleaning and closed-loop water systems are also gaining traction in data-centre settings, cutting both environmental load and the risk of airborne contamination.

Beyond efficiency, FMs should also look at cleaner energy sources: coordinating with sustainability and finance teams to invest in on-site renewables (solar panels, biomass boilers) or procuring green energy that drastically lowers a facility’s carbon intensity. Some data-centre operators, for example, are adopting battery storage and AI-driven energy management; notably, Google famously used DeepMind AI to cut its data-centre cooling energy by up to 40 per cent.

Be there from the start

With the Tech Prosperity Deal promising to fund many new data centres, involvement during the construction phase is vital. Air contamination is the sworn enemy of data storage. Microscopic dust and debris can compromise performance and lead to unscheduled downtime - and in this environment, even half an hour offline can result in eye-watering costs.

This is why early FM involvement - and particularly, specialist builders’ and post-construction cleaning - is essential. These cleans go far beyond what meets the eye: targeting subfloors, overhead voids, high-level ducting and every surface that could harbour contaminants.

Industry accreditations provide a baseline, but what really matters is technical precision and contamination control. Cleanroom standards and data-centre protocols require both engineering knowledge and cleaning expertise. A meticulous handover clean reduces risk, safeguards equipment and provides the contamination-free foundation on which resilience depends. For operators, that confidence begins on day one.

Workforce must evolve

The supporting workforce must evolve in parallel. The data-centre sector demands both traditional engineering depth - in areas like high-voltage systems and cooling - and cutting-edge expertise in analytics, cyber-aware maintenance and compliance.

But as environments become more complex, technical cleaning specialists must also upskill. Understanding air filtration, static control and environmental monitoring are no longer optional; they are part of what it means to be a high-performing FM partner in a digital age.

Redundancy planning is another non-negotiable. Back-up systems, failover processes and fault tolerance must be designed, tested and maintained by FM teams with the specialist knowledge to ensure that no single point of failure, mechanical or environmental, can bring operations to a halt.
Meeting this demand will require long-term commitment to apprenticeships, retraining and collaboration with technical education providers. This is not just about plugging skills gaps; it is about creating a pipeline of high-quality careers that reinforce FM’s role as an enabler of national competitiveness.

There are already voices suggesting that the AI investment cycle could overheat, with capacity expanding faster than demand. Whether that proves true or not, the lesson for FM is clear: resilience depends on adaptability. Plans must anticipate growth but also allow for reconfiguration and repurposing should market conditions shift.

Fortunately, the expertise and processes developed in data centres can be applied elsewhere. The same disciplines that keep servers online, such as contamination control, environmental stability and resilience planning, are increasingly vital in sectors such as life sciences, healthcare and advanced manufacturing. FM providers who design for scalability and sustainability will retain relevance, whatever the pace of AI adoption.

The Tech Prosperity Deal may be the trigger, but the real test is whether FM seizes this moment to become a genuine strategic enabler of the digital economy. Reliability, sustainability and cleanliness are converging into a single expectation, and FM is the thread that binds them.

Historically, FM has operated in the background, keeping buildings safe, clean and functional. In the era of AI and data, it is stepping decisively into the foreground. Clients no longer want contractors; they want collaborators who align with their ESG strategies, reduce operational risks and unlock long-term efficiency.

At ABM, our nationwide reach and track record of more than 100,000 successfully delivered projects in live and critical environments give us a unique perspective on what it takes to succeed. Our experience demonstrates that FM’s role is far more than maintenance. It is precision, protection and performance in equal measure.

The opportunity for FM is immense. Those who embrace innovation, invest in people and embed sustainability at their core will help shape Europe’s digital future.