Data centers sit at the center of our digital world—critical infrastructure powering cloud services, online transactions and the ever-expanding digital economy. As organizations accelerate transformation, data center projects are growing larger, more complex and more urgent. By 2030, spending on data center construction in the U.S. will exceed $112 billion, with project schedules and engineering complexity reaching new heights. But beneath this boom lie risks that can derail even the most advanced builds, affecting not only construction but long-term operations and resilience.

 

Complexity Across Every Phase: From Planning to Operation

A modern data center is much more than a warehouse for servers. These facilities are technical marvels, requiring meticulous design, precision commissioning and robust safety and operational controls from the earliest project planning stages. The scale and speed of today’s builds—often exceeding $1 billion in value and involving more than 2,000 skilled tradespeople—drive a host of critical risks:

• Extreme electrical complexity: Advanced isolation and lockout/tagout controls are needed throughout commissioning and construction.
• Phased energization: Workers are frequently exposed to live power; strict safety controls are non-negotiable.
• Precision cooling and humidity management: Condensation risks can lead to corrosion, latent defects and expensive claims.
• Compressed timelines: Overlapping trades and accelerated commissioning magnify error likelihood and quality control failures.
• Phased turnover: Delegated design and rapid occupancy increase exposure to catastrophic risk and installation errors.

But the risks do not end when construction is complete. Ongoing operations introduce new exposures, from cybersecurity threats and machinery breakdowns to weather-related incidents and property losses.

 

The Need for Early and Holistic Risk Advisory

To strengthen resilience in builds and operations, risk management must begin early—at project planning—and extend seamlessly through commissioning, construction and ongoing operations. This is where Zurich Resilience Solutions’ risk advisory services can make a profound difference by addressing risk holistically at every stage of the data center lifecycle.

 

Supporting Projects From Start Through Ongoing Operations

Zurich Resilience Solutions works side by side with data center owners, contractors and stakeholders from the earliest project planning phases. Our risk engineering team, with decades of experience in data center builds, helps clients probe not just blueprints, but also their control plans, workforce strategies andsafety programs before construction even starts. This early partnership allows us to evaluate practical risk controls, ensuring readiness for what’s to come.

During commissioning and construction, our advisors provide field-level support—standardizing electrical isolation, verifying energization plans and ensuring critical construction safety practices are in place. As the site transitions to operation, our experts continue to guide property risk management, machinery and equipment maintenance, business disruption preparation and more.

Comprehensive Coverage: Risk Advisory Beyond Construction

Unlike typical insurance solutions that focus narrowly on construction, Zurich Resilience Solutions’ risk advisory services span the full lifecycle:

• Project planning and commissioning: Early hazard identification, workforce qualification and review of critical exposure controls.
• Construction safety: On-site support for managing electrical hazards, fall protection, machinery use and more.
• Property risk management: Strategies to safeguard physical assets against fire, flood and other perils.
• Business disruption mitigation: Scenario planning and contingency support to limit downtime and loss.
• Cybersecurity and vulnerability management: Expert guidance on protecting operational technology, data and systems.
• Extreme weather risk: Assessments and action plans for flooding, hurricanes and severe weather events.
• Machinery and equipment maintenance/failure: Programs to prevent breakdowns and maintain operational resilience.
• Ongoing operational advisory: As data centers evolve, our support adapts to manage new threats and optimize business continuity.

This integrated approach is what sets Zurich apart—helping clients build not just data center facilities, but resilient operations centers that stand the test of time.

 

Data-Driven Insights and Performance Benchmarking

Every engagement draws on Zurich’s extensive data lake, a proprietary platform powering advanced risk factor grading, trending and benchmarking. Our risk engineers transform raw site observations into actionable intelligence, giving clients clear performance comparisons against industry peers and targeted improvement recommendations. Clients see where their controls excel and where opportunities for improvement exist—whether in planning, construction or daily operation.

Targeted Risk Improvement Actions (RIA) mean clients receive concrete, measurable guidance to mitigate exposures across every phase of the build and operational lifecycle—not just during construction, but continuously as the data center matures.

Our team brings more than 25 years of experience underwriting data center projects, supported by more than 100 risk engineers nationwide. These are not generalists—they are specialists with deep technical backgrounds, offering advanced guidance at every touchpoint.

Our market-leading approach is also powered by strong relationships: trusted by clients and brokers, supported by the global Zurich network and recommended by active customers. Specialized energy risk engineering and cyber expertise further elevate our ability to solve critical challenges, safeguarding data center projects from planning through long-term operation.

 

The Value of Holistic Risk Advisory: Avoiding Downtime, Disruption and Remediation

Why does this matter? Because the consequences of unaddressed risks are severe. Minor missteps during construction or commissioning can trigger costly downtime, expensive rework, latent defect claims, property losses, cyber attacks and business interruption. Without continuous risk management, organizations may face reputational damage, regulatory intervention or operational failures that impact their entire digital ecosystem.

Zurich Resilience Solutions empowers clients to move beyond reactive risk management—transforming uncertainty into resilience. By partnering early and maintaining comprehensive advisory throughout commissioning, construction and operation, our clients are positioned to prevent disruption, minimize downtime and reduce expensive remediation.

Early, integrated involvement means:

• Disruption Avoided: Proactive hazard identification, control validation and ongoing education reduce the risk of stoppages and accidents before they occur.
• Downtime Minimized: Quality control oversight, workforce qualification and scenario planning help ensure issues are addressed before the data center goes live.
• Rework and Remediation Reduced: Detailed benchmarking and fact-based feedback enable targeted improvements, minimizing latent defect risk and defect claims.
• Continuous Improvement: Data-driven insights and cross-project benchmarking foster a culture of learning and resilience, empowering clients to lead the market in safety and reliability.

As each data hall is commissioned and the facility transitions to operational status, risk management continues to be crucial. Ongoing property and liability management services—powered by Zurich’s risk engineering expertise—help clients scale safely as business needs grow.

 

Building Data Centers That Thrive

In the high-stakes world of data centers, risk does not have a pause button. Project planning, commissioning, construction and ongoing operation each bring critical exposures that must be managed from start to finish. Zurich Resilience Solutions delivers unmatched risk advisory services, covering property, business disruption, cyber, extreme weather, safety, machinery maintenance and more, ensuring that data centers do more than come online. They thrive.

For data center owners, contractors and stakeholders, bringing Zurich risk specialists in early means access to deep expertise, real-time insights and a holistic strategy for resilience. It’s how the world’s most ambitious data center builds succeed—not just on day one, but for years to come.

For more information or to consult with our Data Center Risk Advisory team, contact us here.

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By Jen Lamson, Head of Marketing, Zurich Resilience Solutions North America