Japanese Telecoms Giant KDDI Acquires £250M East London Campus for Data Center Expansion

Japanese telecoms giant KDDI buys the 1.1M SF Inventory Estate (formerly Republic) in East London for £250M, signaling a major data center expansion in Docklands.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 9:08 AM EDT

Source: Bisnow

From "Republic" to Inventory Estate: A Strategic Shift

The campus, located in the Blackwall area of Docklands, was previously branded as "Republic" and marketed as a creative office hub. Under the new ownership of KDDI, the site’s 1.1 million square feet of space will transition toward more technical utility. While the estate currently houses a mix of office and academic tenants, KDDI’s interest is primarily driven by the site's potential for high-capacity data center development. This move follows a global trend where traditional "creative" office space is being repurposed for power-intensive digital infrastructure.

Strengthening London’s "Data Center Corridor"

Docklands has long been the heart of London’s connectivity, but the KDDI deal underscores a new phase of densification. By securing a site of this scale, KDDI positions itself at the center of the UK’s digital economy. The Inventory Estate acquisition allows the firm to bypass many of the "power-availability" hurdles that have stalled smaller projects across London. The proximity to existing subsea cable landings and the financial district makes this specific campus one of the most valuable data center development prospects in Western Europe.

Japanese Investment in UK Infrastructure

The £250 million deal is the latest in a series of major investments by Japanese firms into British technology and real estate. KDDI’s move mirrors similar expansions by competitors like NTT, as Asian telecoms giants seek to capitalize on the UK’s growing AI and cloud computing demands. Analysts suggest that the stability of the UK’s legal framework and the London market’s high barriers to entry make it an attractive long-term play for Japanese capital, especially as domestic markets in Asia reach saturation.