Microsoft's CEO, Satya Nadella, asserts that the company's relations with the UK are at an all-time high, announcing a substantial $30 billion investment in the UK technology sector.
Tech Giants Pour Billions into UK's Digital Future
In a significant boost for the British technology sector, Microsoft, Google, and Nvidia have announced multi-billion-pound investments in the UK.
Microsoft President Brad Smith made a pledge to invest £22 billion ($30bn) in the UK, with a focus on expanding cloud and AI infrastructure. In a blog post, Smith stated that this investment builds on the tech giant's long-standing ties with the UK, having operated there for over four decades, opening its first office outside the United States in 1982.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella hailed the investment as a continuation of the company's commitment to the UK, stating that it underpins the development of a GPU cluster with 120,000 Blackwell GPUs. The company also plans to build the UK's largest supercomputer, featuring more than 23,000 Nvidia GPUs.
Google has also joined the fray, announcing a £5 billion investment scheme across the UK. This includes the opening of a new $1 billion data center at Waltham Cross, aimed at building out cloud and AI infrastructure and funding research and development (R&D).
Nvidia's investment, totalling over £11 billion, will create Europe's largest GPU cluster. The British start-up Nscale, in collaboration with Microsoft and Nvidia, plans to build and equip this supercomputer with more than 23,000 Nvidia GPUs, specifically 23,040 Blackwell GPUs, at a site in Essex, UK. Deliveries are set to begin in early 2027 as part of a $6.2 billion five-year project that also includes a hyperscale AI infrastructure in Norway.
Nvidia's investment will be supported by partners like Nscale and CoreWeave.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer welcomed these announcements, calling them a "powerful vote of confidence" in the UK's technology sector. The investments are intended to ensure Britain remains at the forefront of global innovation as part of a broader national plan.
These announcements come amidst a significant week for the British technology sector, coinciding with US president Donald Trump's second state visit to the UK. The investments aim to support the development of digital infrastructure and thousands of highly skilled jobs.
Several major technology companies have made significant funding commitments in recent days, with Microsoft itself announcing a $3.2 billion investment in the UK's AI infrastructure just two years ago.
Microsoft currently employs around 6,000 people in the UK and operates multiple data center regions and some of its most important AI and research labs there.
These investments mark a promising future for the UK's technology sector, with the country poised to remain a global leader in digital innovation.
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