Data centre operators are scaling back risk assessments even as infrastructure complexity and outage risks rise, according to new findings from Uptime Institute, highlighting a growing resilience gap across the sector.
Uptime’s latest Data Center Resiliency Survey shows that 81% of owner-operators conduct resiliency risk assessments, down from 88% last year and 89% two years ago. The decline was recorded across all regions except Latin America, raising concerns about preparedness as facilities become more interconnected and operationally demanding.
Risk assessments remain focused on core areas such as operations (83%), electrical systems (80%) and physical security (75%). However, only 39% of organisations assess systemic risks linked to third-party providers, despite increasing reliance on external cloud, utility and service partners.
“Assessing systemic risk from third parties can be difficult because operators often have limited visibility into their providers’ vulnerabilities,” said Douglas Donnellan, Uptime Institute research analyst. “An outage at a major cloud or utility provider can disrupt multiple facilities and services simultaneously.”
Most organisations continue to conduct assessments regularly, with nearly three-quarters adopting scheduled reviews rather than event-driven evaluations. However, Uptime Institute cautions that periodic assessments should be complemented by reviews at critical lifecycle stages, including design, commissioning and post-incident analysis.
Despite the decline in adoption, investment in risk assessment capabilities is increasing. Around 57% of respondents reported broader assessment scope, while 53% cited improved standardisation and over half indicated increased resource allocation. Internal teams lead most assessments (88%), though 54% also engage third-party specialists.
“Outage incidents are becoming more difficult to diagnose and often involve multiple interconnected systems,” said Donnellan. “Organisations that invest in resiliency assessments are best positioned to prevent operational disruption.”
At the same time, a separate Uptime Institute survey points to strong growth momentum across the data centre supply chain. Nearly 79% of vendors and suppliers expect capacity growth rates to accelerate over the next five years, driven by rising demand for digital infrastructure and high-performance computing.
Confidence is reflected in spending trends, with 59% of vendors reporting increased customer willingness to invest in data centre products and services—the highest level in four years. Around 70% expect revenue growth in 2026, compared with just 5% anticipating a decline.
“Vendors and suppliers continue to increase their investment in large-scale technology deployments,” said Dr. Owen Rogers, Uptime Intelligence research director. “Facilities are becoming larger and more specialised, driving demand for customised solutions that support higher densities and specific operational requirements.”
Emerging technologies are reshaping the sector, with direct liquid cooling leading adoption at 83%, while fuel cells lag behind at 38%. Meanwhile, 77% of respondents expect widespread use of data centre infrastructure management (DCIM) systems for automation within five years.
Although expectations for AI-driven operational improvements have slightly declined, more respondents believe AI will reduce employment relative to workloads, reflecting a shift towards automation-led efficiency.
As operators confront rising power demands and complexity, vendors are evolving from equipment providers to strategic partners, delivering tailored solutions to enhance resilience, scalability and performance.
