Designed by Graeme Nicholls Architects, the development would form the flagship project within The Stoics, ILI Group’s planned network of large-scale data centres across Scotland’s Central Belt, designed to support the growing demand for artificial intelligence, cloud computing and digital services.

The proposed development represents an investment of around £5 billion and would be delivered in phases over several years.

Independent analysis by BiGGAR Economics indicates that construction of the project could generate approximately £708 million in Gross Value Added (GVA) across Scotland, including around £105m in Fife, while supporting around 9,660 job-years across the country, including approximately 1,450 in Fife.

Once operational, the development is expected to support around 540 jobs across Scotland, including approximately 262 in Fife, and generate more than £30m in annual GVA locally. The site would also create around 120 permanent skilled jobs at full build-out.

Mark Wilson, CEO of ILI Group, said: “The submission of this planning application marks a major milestone for both Cato and Scotland’s digital infrastructure ambitions.

“Demand for data processing and AI infrastructure is growing rapidly across the world, and Scotland is well placed to play a leading role in meeting that demand thanks to its skilled workforce, strong renewable energy resources and existing industrial expertise.

“Cato represents a significant opportunity for Fife, bringing substantial investment, supporting high-quality jobs and helping to establish the region as a key location for future digital infrastructure. We look forward to continuing our engagement with local communities and stakeholders as the application progresses through the planning process.”

The design draws inspiration from the ancient Greek stoa, a covered collonaded walkway where the Stoic philosophers gathered to exchange ideas, and from the related classical tradition in which proportion, order and harmony were understood as expressions of a deeper philosophical worldview, as seen in the work of the Greek sculptor Polykleitos.

Graeme Nicholls, director of Graeme Nicholls Architects, said: “It has been exciting to work on an emerging building typology of real significance. Data centres are often understood as purely technical buildings, but we saw Cato as an opportunity to give this new infrastructure a clear architectural identity and narrative.

“The proposals have been shaped by the setting, while drawing on the ordered, civic quality of the ancient stoa and the proportional ideas found in Polykleitos’ Canon.

“Our aim was to respond to the exceptional scale of the brief without losing a sense of rhythm, order and human scale. The stepped forms, based on cubit units, colonnaded stoa and robust materiality are intended to give the buildings a calm and resilient presence within the landscape, while connecting digital infrastructure, renewable energy and architectural form.”

The proposed data centre would be powered by renewable electricity and is being brought forward on land identified for employment use within the current Fife Local Development Plan.

The development’s projected annual water use is equivalent to that of approximately 239 homes and would be supplied through separate infrastructure from that serving Auchtertool village, with Scottish Water confirming sufficient capacity exists to support the project.

ILI Group has engaged extensively with local stakeholders and the community as the plans have developed and intends to establish a community benefit fund alongside skills, training and apprenticeship opportunities linked to the project.