Overview
- The UK Government says the Lanarkshire zone has attracted £8.2 billion in private investment with projections of more than 3,400 jobs, including about 800 higher-paid AI roles.
- Delivery will be led by Scottish data centre firm DataVita in partnership with AI cloud provider CoreWeave, which report a £1.5 billion commitment to build a production-grade AI cloud around DataVita’s Airdrie site.
- Developers plan more than 500 megawatts of on-site power over the next four years with integration of renewable energy and exploration of waste-heat reuse, including a potential link to University Hospital Monklands.
- A community fund of up to £543 million over 15 years is planned to support local skills, training and services, with programme elements including 50 apprenticeships.
- Lanarkshire becomes the fifth UK AI Growth Zone after Oxfordshire, North and South Wales, and the North East of England, as part of the government’s Modern Industrial Strategy and AI Opportunities Action Plan.