North East England is emerging as the UK’s next AI powerhouse.
The North East is home to expert deep-tech talent, a thriving digital sector, world-class universities and R&D innovation. Businesses located here are able to test, develop, and scale cutting-edge AI solutions from a UK base to global markets.
The North East is already renowned for its unique strengths in digital infrastructure, talent, and innovation, and now the region has been designated an AI Growth Zone – cementing the North East’s role in shaping the future of AI.
The AI Growth Zone is anchored by two major data centre campuses at QTS Cambois in Northumberland and Cobalt Park in North Tyneside. The zone has the potential to create more than 5,000 jobs and unlock £30 billion in private investment.
The AI Growth Zone’s first investment sees a UK first. Global leaders including OpenAI, NVIDIA, and British firm Nscale have partnered to launch Stargate UK, a sovereign AI infrastructure platform with a key base at Cobalt Park.
Some of the region’s biggest international organisations – including Sage UK, Accenture, IBM and Lockheed Martin – are all spearheading AI adoption, and homegrown talent including Atom Bank, Opencast and Zerolight are developing and adapting AI technologies. The cluster around AI development has grown significantly in the North East, and the region has the infrastructure to lead it into the future.
Our region’s world-class universities are training thousands of next generation AI researchers and innovators and advancing AI and quantum technologies. Through the introduction of new undergraduate and postgraduate courses in artificial intelligence, they are also creating a talent pool to take the technology forward.
Furthermore, our pioneering research assets, including the National Innovation Centre for Data, the National Edge Artificial Intelligence Hub at Newcastle University, and the Centre For Responsible AI (CeRAI) at Northumbria University, all support the growth of the sector. R&D assets such as CPI are also providing the testbed for AI research and commercialisation support.
The region’s wider digital infrastructure, which includes accelerators, networks and innovation hubs, provide a supportive environment for pre-start, startup and scaleup AI businesses. And the North East’s business support provision, led by the North East Growth Hub, can signpost AI businesses to relevant business support, finance and funding.
To find out more about how Invest North East England can support your AI business move, contact our team.
