This week, Southbank Research Investment Director Sam Volkering spent a lot of time looking at things that aren’t working the way they used to.

Start with AI.

For the past few years, the infrastructure race has been about going bigger: enormous data centres, gigawatts of power, and tens of thousands of chips concentrated in one place.

But the next stage of the AI boom could look very different.

Smaller data centres can be brought online faster, positioned closer to users and used to handle the billions of inference requests generated as people increasingly put AI to work.

That shift could create an opportunity for Britain that simply didn’t exist in the race to build enormous gigawatt campuses.

Britain itself was also under the microscope this week.

Once the workshop of the world, Sam argues the country has lost ground across manufacturing, energy, financial markets, and global influence. But rebuilding Britain would itself require enormous investment in power, defence, infrastructure and industry – potentially creating opportunities for the companies supplying that revival.

Then came crypto.

Bitcoin absorbed two significant blows from Washington in quick succession. Yet instead of collapsing, it bounced back. Meanwhile, the SEC is moving towards tokenised assets and BlackRock is examining a future in which AI agents use digital money themselves.

Finally, on Friday, Sam turned a decision over to you.

Watch his latest video, tell him what works – and what doesn’t – and your feedback could help determine where he goes next.

Sometimes the biggest opportunities emerge when the old way of doing things stops working.

This week, we looked at what might replace it.

Monday, 21 September 2026

Why 20 megawatts suits Britain better than a gigawatt – by Sam Volkering

The AI infrastructure race has been dominated by enormous data centres consuming extraordinary amounts of power. But the next phase could favour something much smaller.

Sam looks at why AI companies are exploring 20MW to 30MW sites, why Britain could be surprisingly well placed to provide them – and three UK-listed companies that could benefit if smaller really is better.

Click here to read the full essay

Tuesday, 22 September 2026

Send them back to make Great Britain again – by Sam Volkering

Britain once dominated global manufacturing, finance and trade. Today, Sam argues, expensive energy, declining industry and weakening financial influence tell a very different story.

But rebuilding Britain’s economic strength would require investment in power, defence and infrastructure. Sam looks at the companies that could help provide it – and potentially benefit from Britain’s next rebuild.

Click here to read the full essay

Wednesday, 23 September 2026

Did Burnham just sink British AI as Trump watched on? – by Sam Volkering

Britain has the talent to become a global AI powerhouse. But Sam argues high energy costs, regulation and a failure to retain homegrown companies are driving some of its biggest opportunities elsewhere.

From OpenAI’s abandoned Stargate UK plans to Arm’s decision to list in New York, he asks why Britain keeps letting its technological advantages slip through its fingers.

Click here to read the full essay

Thursday, 24 September 2026

Two-punch crypto is primed to take the title – by Sam Volkering

Crypto took two heavy blows from Washington – and Bitcoin got back up.

Sam looks at why Bitcoin’s resilience following the failed CLARITY Act vote and a Federal Reserve rate hike matters, alongside moves by the SEC towards tokenised markets and BlackRock’s vision of an economy where AI agents increasingly transact using crypto.

Click here to read the full essay

Friday, 25 September 2026

Send them back… again – by Sam Volkering

This time, Sam doesn’t just want you to watch. He wants you to decide what happens next.

Watch today’s video, tell Sam what worked, what didn’t – and help determine which direction he takes from here.

Click here to watch the video