Harnessing the Future: AI, Cyber Security and Property Development

by Matt Bellshaw

It’s boom time for tech in the property sector – I don’t just mean tech occupiers (reader, ignore that Twitter/X isn’t currently paying their rent), I mean the steady PropTech revolution (the application of digital innovation and technology to the real estate sector) that has changed the landscape for the digital specification for all notable new commercial buildings. Between Q1 2019 and Q1 2022, there was ￡47 billion of global venture capital investment in PropTech startups, of which circa ￡3.5 billion has been in the UK.

Our buildings are now smarter than ever, and whilst this brings enormous benefits in efficiency and customer experience for landlords and building users alike, there are also some risks to be considered.

As the lines between the virtual and physical worlds increasingly blur, an effective and innovative approach to cybersecurity and property development is pivotal.

Consideration of security in the built environment is a well trodden-path. Consultation with Secured by Design (SBD), the official police security initiative, has long been an essential part of the development process. Despite this long legacy, there is still much to do here. The HBD team recently heard from Susannah Walker, co-founder of Make Space for Girls who believes that our public realm (parks, play equipment and public spaces) is often designed for the “default male”. We’re going to be baking these considerations in at Golden Valley from the start, by ensuring that our spaces are cognisant of many girls’ own perspectives of a built environment.

But when will there be an SBD for digital assets? At HBD we take great care in designing built environments and urban spaces that feel secure for all, but we must increasingly also embed strong digital fortresses into the design of our digital assets.

There is a real opportunity at Golden Valley to create an ideas playground for the most innovative ideas to emerge, showing not just ‘how’, but demonstrating ‘why’, tech, cybersecurity and real estate should synergise.

Cheltenham has a rich legacy as a cybersecurity hub, and the Golden Valley offers the ideal setting to explore, develop, and refine technological innovations in this field. Cheltenham already has an impressive concentration of cyber-focused businesses, research institutions, and governmental bodies, and the development is poised to further invigorate this existing ecosystem.

The unique circumstances at Golden Valley, our long-term stewardship, and our love of innovation enable us to provide real freedom for companies to flesh out their ideas. By having a pro-innovation landlord, tech companies can experiment in a real-time environment to validate fresh ideas, test new technologies, and build in the potential to experiment with prospective AI-driven security measures. This could supercharge innovation and speed up the time it takes to bring solutions to market.

But why would we want to do this? As well as this being good for the project, we are likely to see a rapid progression in smart, secure property development, which is something we are already looking to advance in other areas of our business.

For my money, the rapid proliferation and advancement in smart buildings further drive the need for robust cybersecurity in property development, and its enormous potential must be supported by Artificial Intelligence. AI offers an unprecedented capacity to analyse vast swathes of data, enabling us to identify security risks before they transform into real threats (or real estate threats, pun intended). It also provides opportunities to automate and optimise many aspects of property management, from energy use to maintenance scheduling, again something we see as hugely useful and important on our ‘net zero’ journey.

Through machine learning algorithms, we can better anticipate, prevent, and counter cyber threats. Advanced AI systems can sift through the noise to pinpoint irregularities in network traffic, identifying potential breaches early and prompting swift action. In the sphere of property development, AI can transform buildings into self-regulating, energy-efficient structures. It can optimise lighting, heating, and cooling systems based on occupancy and use patterns, reducing waste and driving sustainability.

Yet, AI is not a silver bullet. Its efficacy is contingent on its deployment within a robust cybersecurity infrastructure. Golden Valley's ambition to create an environment that fosters cybersecurity innovation and best practices, can support tackling current threats while simultaneously preparing for those yet unseen, not just through its buildings but through its infrastructure.

Golden Valley is perfectly poised to bring together these aspects – cybersecurity, AI, and property development – into a unified approach. Its geographical location (and by extension talent pool), its ethos of fostering collaboration, and its commitment to test-bed technology contribute to a distinctive proposition.

The fusion of AI, cybersecurity, and property development could play an important role in shaping the future of our digital and physical worlds – a future that's safe, sustainable, and smart. By pushing boundaries, experimenting, and constantly learning, we can ensure the development of robust, resilient, and responsive cyber-physical systems for generations to come.

In an ever-evolving technological landscape, Golden Valley has the opportunity to demonstrate what can be achieved when innovation, collaboration, and forward-thinking people come together. The community are indeed writing the future - one where technology serves to enhance and secure our physical realities. The ecosystem is already here, our aim is to support its growth.