From Vision to Reality: Disrupting at Scale in 2024 and Beyond
By Scott Smyth, Soben Founder & CEO
Scott Smyth, Soben Founder & CEO, pauses to look back on another transformative year for Soben, and shares his hopes and ambitions for the year ahead.
Transformative Growth
2024 was another incredible year for Soben. We closed the year with a revenue increase of over 40%, officially placing us in hyper-growth. This success has been no accident – it’s the result of a robust plan, fantastic clients, and the hard work and drive of our people across the world.
We have continued to leverage our deep specialism in data centres to support the sector’s extraordinary growth. As demand surges, we’ve been honoured to work alongside our long-standing clients as well as new partners, helping them keep pace with the rapid changes in the industry.
Powered by Partnerships
Our business has gone from strength to strength, driven by our clients’ ambitions and our collaborative approach. In the past year, we celebrated milestones such as our expansion into Scandinavia, taking on projects in Finland and Norway, and working with new partners like GreenScale.
Soben is powered by partnerships. We choose to collaborate exclusively with a select group of clients we truly believe in, ensuring they receive our undivided attention. In 2024, we deepened these relationships, fostering mutual growth. We’ve seen clients embark on larger and more innovative projects – with first-of-a-kind estimates required to accommodate higher densities, cooling advancements, and new engineering solutions. We’re proud to be at the forefront of this evolution.
We’re a People Business
Of course, none of this happens without the incredible people who make up Soben. In 2024, we celebrated several internal promotions – recognising exceptional contributions and positioning us for sustained growth in the coming year. Developing our senior management team remains a priority, and I’m committed to investing in the people who drive our success.
In 2024, we also welcomed Tom Harrison to the Soben executive board as a strategic advisor. Tom’s decades of experience have provided invaluable insights. With the appointment of our new HR Director in January, I’m proud to share that our Board will be 40% female – a step towards greater diversity and balance at the top of our organisation.
The Growing Data Centre Market
Looking ahead, we’re certainly not slowing down. The strength of the data centre market continues to fuel our order book, with projects already stretching to 2028. This gives us the confidence to invest, plan, and ensure we are ready to support our clients wherever they need us.
One of Soben’s strengths is our dynamism and responsiveness to the needs of our clients. We are ready to grow with our partners, wherever they need it. Core data centre markets are reaching capacity, prompting clients to explore new locations and models to meet demand. As always, Soben stands ready to grow alongside them.
Scotland – Green, Connected, and Ready
One of the most exciting opportunities lies right on our doorstep. With demand for European data centres set to triple by 2030, traditional hubs like FLAP-D are reaching their limits. Scotland is stepping up. With an estimated 3GW of development already under consideration across 20 sites, the country is poised to become Europe’s next data centre hub.
As Scotland’s only construction consultancy specialising in data centres, Soben is committed to making this vision a reality. In 2025, we’ll work with government bodies and the local supply chain to ensure Scotland realises its potential.
Scotland isn’t alone in benefiting from the data centre boom. We’re supporting clients’ growth in the Nordics – a region with similar climate and connectivity advantages. Meanwhile, in the US, our fastest-growing market, our data centre pipeline continues to expand.
Sustaining Momentum
Rapid growth comes with its challenges, both for businesses and the broader industry. Power supply issues, permitting delays, and talent shortages remain significant hurdles. In 2025, collaboration across the industry will be essential to educate, train, and engage new talent while strengthening the local supply chain.
One thing is clear, we cannot continue to rely on the same nomadic labour models that have served the industry thus far. It’s critical to develop local talent in emerging markets – through upskilling and cross-skilling – to ensure the industry’s growth is sustainable.
Scaling for Success
Looking ahead, Soben’s hyperscale journey shows no sign of slowing. In 2025, we are projected to grow by at least another 45%. To prepare, we’ve been strengthening our leadership and organisational structure to support the next phase of our expansion.
Our core markets – the US, Germany, Netherlands, UK, and Nordics – remain a priority. However, we are also excited to help our clients enter new regions like APAC, where we already have an established team.
Beyond data centres, we are broadening our scope. In the UK, we appointed Mary Osuagwu to lead our infrastructure operations. With framework appointments for UKPN and SSE, we are proud to support the UK’s energy infrastructure transformation – a cornerstone of the data centre industry’s future.
Investing in People
In 2024, we embedded Soben’s Leadership Principles further into our culture. When I founded Soben, I set out to bring something different to the market: hire the best people and empower them to make a meaningful impact on our clients’ projects. To support this vision, I created eight principles that define the unique approach and behaviours we expect of all of our people. Our Leadership Principles guide our employees in their decision-making and actions. They help us stay client-centric, drive growth and maintain high standards across the company.
In 2025, with our new HR Director on board, we’ll focus on integrating these principles even more deeply into our hiring, onboarding, and leadership processes. We’ll also enhance our Employer Value Proposition to ensure Soben remains a market-leading place to work.
Personally, I’m committed to supporting Soben’s people to achieve their best. I’m passionate about business development and look forward to mentoring others so they can follow in my footsteps. We’ll also introduce mentorship opportunities for high performers, helping them reach their full potential.
Believe in the plan
My key takeaway from 2024 is this: believe in the plan. The best business development you can do is deliver exceptional service to your clients. Focus on this, and success will follow.
I’ve often spoken about my vision for Soben as a market disruptor. Today, this vision is no longer aspirational – it’s a reality. The scale of our projects and the success of our business prove that Soben is disrupting at scale.
As I look to 2025, I’m excited to ensure we continue to disrupt the market while staying true to what got us here: our ambitious, talented people and the trusted partners who drive us forward.
Here’s to another year of growth, innovation, and partnership.
 – Scott, January 2025
