For governments and operators, this escalating AI race is forcing a rethink of physical security at the facilities that now underpin national competitiveness. In the UK, Birmingham-based manufacturer Warrior Doors is one of the few firms engineering the type of fully certified, high-security door systems required for these mission-critical environments.
“Data centres are now strategic national assets and have moved far beyond being mere buildings with servers,” says Brett Barratt, Managing Director of Warrior Doors. “When the world’s leading powers are openly competing for AI dominance, the physical protection of digital infrastructure becomes a matter of national security.”
S&P’s analysis notes that technological breakthroughs have historically shifted global power—steam, electricity, the internet—and AI is no different. Nations are racing to fortify the digital infrastructure that will give them a competitive edge.
This geopolitical shift has a direct effect on security expectations for facilities in the UK and Europe. Physical intrusion attempts, hostile reconnaissance, insider risks and even vehicle-based attacks are rising across global data centre markets.
Warrior Doors’ response has been to engineer a specialist range of LPS 1175 SR2 and SR3 certified data centre doors, including fully glazed aluminium doorsets and an SR3-rated sliding security door.
“What we’re seeing now is an entirely new risk profile,” Barratt explains. “Operators need certified security – approximations, retrofits and short cutting won’t cut it, but instead, independently verified protection that stands up to real-world attack models. That’s why everything we make is tested, inspected and certified by LPCB and listed in the Red Book.”
Governments globally are backing large-scale data centre expansions, and the security components within them are coming under greater scrutiny from regulators, insurers and operators. Warrior Doors’ insistence on retaining full in-house manufacturing oversight in Birmingham has become a competitive differentiator.
“When security becomes a geopolitical issue, supply chain control is everything,” says Barratt. “We design, fabricate, assemble and test every SR2 and SR3 door under one roof. That reduces risk, ensures consistency, and gives operators confidence that their security infrastructure hasn’t been compromised.”
Barratt adds that, unlike conventional doors, Warrior Doors’ systems are designed specifically for integration with biometrics, encrypted PAC systems, interlocking lobbies and vehicle-mitigation zones—a reflection of how modern data centres regulate movement as tightly as they protect the data itself.
One standout technology is Warrior Doors’ SR3 Sliding Security Door, purpose-built for high-traffic data centre environments where fast, tightly controlled access is essential.
S&P’s report highlights that the global AI expansion is not just about more data centres, but smarter, denser, more energy-intensive ones. That shift demands door systems that minimise air disturbance, handle 24/7 operational cycles and integrate into multi-layered access strategies.
“Sliding doors are becoming the preferred choice for technical facilities because they maintain security without impeding flow,” Barratt explains. “But at SR3 certification, achieving that combination of strength, visibility and smooth operation is extremely complex. We believe we’ve set the benchmark for what an SR3 sliding door can be.”
With world powers like the US, China and Saudi Arabia pouring billions into AI infrastructure, the physical security of data centres is crucial. The Geopolitics of Data Centers report warns that fragmented sovereignty rules, competing ecosystems and rising threats are already reshaping risk calculations.
For Warrior Doors, this marks a turning point.
“Ten years ago, a high-security data centre door was a niche request,” Barratt notes. “Today, it is a fundamental requirement. Operators want full visibility, certified intrusion resistance, interlock capability and seamless digital integration—because a security failure isn’t just a building problem, it’s a national-level risk.”
Warrior Doors’ fully glazed SR2/SR3 doors, SR3 sliding doors and interlocking lobby systems are now used across critical UK digital infrastructure—from main personnel entrances to rack floor access points and vehicle mitigation zones.
As AI development accelerates and global powers vie for leadership, the importance of resilient, certified physical security is clearer than ever.
“We build doors that protect the places powering tomorrow’s economies,” Barratt concludes. “In a world where data is influence and AI is capability, safeguarding the buildings that host those systems isn’t optional—it’s strategic.”
