Credit: AVK
Partner Insight: Digital infrastructure specialist AVK explains how it is adopting sustainability throughout every function of its business
At AVK, we power digital infrastructure. Increasingly, our society's lifestyle leans on digital infrastructure – data centres facilitate essential everyday activities: online banking, education, storing of medical records, support of emergency services, facilitation of crucial research, healthcare breakthroughs, smartphone usage, cloud storage, and more. This is why data centres were classified as Critical National Infrastructure in September of 2024.
Powering these facilities is complex. It takes a lot of expertise, infrastructure, and research into innovative methods to be able to power the data centres that enable digital equipment. It takes even further research and resources to enable us to do so responsibly. In an industry that continues to grow and develop, AVK is committed to contributing to this growth whilst prioritising a sustainable approach, delivering positive impact for people and the planet.
The Footprint We Leave
Our sustainability and responsible business strategy - The Footprint We Leave - was launched in February 2026. It outlines how we can offer a consultative approach to data centre developers, helping them drive towards their net-zero goals via the design of their power infrastructure, as well as driving towards this ourselves. We pledge three main commitments:
- Powering a cleaner net zero future: We are committed to reducing our environmental footprint, both within our own operations and looking at our value chain to lower the footprint at every stage.
- Powering positive social change: We are passionate about creating lasting social value, contributing to supporting STEM outreach, education and careers and supporting local communities.
- Powering fairer and responsible business: This is about ensuring our operations and supply chain reflect the same transparency, fairness, and long-term thinking that we aim to promote.
Our strategy is aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring that the infrastructure we are powering also has a meaningful impact, resulting in an inclusive and sustainable future.
A particular focus on our social impact
Our AVK Academy programme is our way of creating an easier path of entry into the industry, for young professionals interested in becoming high-quality engineers. Finding a role as an entry-level professional, especially in current times, can be extremely difficult, and so the AVK Academy is our centre of excellence dedicated to nurturing and developing engineers. Better yet, this doesn't only have to be catered towards young professionals entering the industry – advanced engineers can use this training hub to enhance their skills and become high-level specialists.
Including full-size engines and full control system training rigs, our training hub in Lenham, Kent, holds cutting-edge equipment so that the Academy cohort receives a practical education, preparing them for real-world challenges in the power generation field.
Our AVK Academy is nearing the end of its second year in operations, and we have seen steady growth every year with an increasing number of applicants.
We are dedicated to providing an easier route of entry into an industry which desperately needs younger engineers to join the ranks. In addition to the AVK Academy, we frequently welcome interns and work experience candidates, and these people are often exposed to multiple functions within the business, providing a well-rounded education in power generation for data centres.
We also work hard to support the communities already represented at AVK. We have just established a new network – Women@AVK – designed to offer a safe and inclusive space for those who identify as women to gather, access support, and raise issues and talking points. AVK has seen rapid growth, and so networks like these are required so that we prioritise the diversity and inclusion of our company. We want everyone at AVK to utilise their voice.
Supporting industry initiatives
Over the last year, we have placed particular focus on supporting industry initiatives that share the same focus as we do – a positive social impact. The data centre industry has a reputation that is often negatively perceived by those who don't understand how they are powered. We're trying to increase the education around data centres for multiple reasons – to mend their reputation, and crucially, to bridge the skills gap. If young people understand data centres and how many opportunities there are in the industry, then we could fill that talent gap.
In efforts to creative a positive social impact, we are Strategic Partners of Critical Careers. This initiative, established by Kao Data, celebrates women in the data centre industry – women from all backgrounds, in varying levels of seniority, and from a wide range of role functions. The intention behind this is to demonstrate routes into the industry, and highlight the incredible work done by women to advance and promote it. As a Strategic Partner, we hope that women listening to the podcast and reading the book are inspired by their peers and consider a career in data centres. The programme is also in the early stages of establishing a community partnership to ensure we raise awareness of the industry for young women.
Further demonstrating our support of educational initiatives, our Head of Sustainability and Responsible Business, Sarah King, facilitated the partnership between AVK, National Data Centre Day and STEM Learning UK. Through this partnership, it's our hope that the conversation around data centres gets brought into schools and the education system, even extending to the curriculum if possible. The partnership has just announced a brand-new cohort of Data Centre STEM Ambassadors, allowing data centre professionals to conduct sessions in schools to educate young people about the role of data centres in their communities, what they can do about their own digital carbon footprints and the careers that may be available to them in the industry. At this time, AVK has a high number of sign-ups from employees aspiring to become a data centre STEM Ambassador, and we aim to encourage more. We are really proud to be a founding member of the Data Centre STEM Ambassadors Programme and will continue to advocate to drive greater community engagement and educational outreach for our industry.
Carrying our efforts forward in everyday processes
Our sustainability focus is being adopted throughout our business, in every function. From supply chain to building facilities, our sustainability and responsible business team is working across functions to make a difference. It's our aim to follow our commitments in The Footprint We Leave and be transparent about the progress we make so that AVK leads, and others in the industry follow.
This article is sponsored by AVK.
