Cambridge, UK

The United Kingdom has just secured one of the largest waves of technology investment in its history. Big Tech firms — led by Microsoft, Nvidia, Google, OpenAI, and Salesforce — have committed more than $40 billion to building AI infrastructure, data centres, and training programs across the country. These commitments form the backbone of the new US-UK Tech Prosperity Deal, signed during President Trump’s 2025 state visit.

Background: Who’s Investing What

• Microsoft is investing $30 billion through 2028, including the UK’s largest AI supercomputer with more than 23,000 GPUs.
  
  

• Nvidia will deploy 120,000 of its latest GPUs in the UK, its biggest European footprint.
  
  

• Google is putting £5B into a new data centre in Hertfordshire, already opening in 2025 and promising thousands of jobs.
  
  

• OpenAI is launching Stargate UK, a project scaling to 31,000 GPUs over time.
  
  

• Salesforce is doubling its UK investment to $6B by 2030.
  
  

Alongside these private projects, the government is designating “AI Growth Zones” in the North East, with thousands of new jobs and training schemes for UK workers.

The Timeline Explained

We’ve charted the rollout of these investments from 2025 through 2030. Google’s Waltham Cross data centre is first out of the gate in late 2025. OpenAI’s initial cluster of ~8,000 GPUs follows in early 2026. Microsoft’s 23,000-GPU supercomputer goes live in early 2027.

Beyond those early milestones, the larger capital commitments stretch through to the end of the decade. Salesforce’s expansion and the gradual scale-up of Stargate UK will continue until at least 2030. The chart highlights not only when these projects come online but also how overlapping timelines will shape the UK’s AI landscape.

Things to Watch Out For

Big infrastructure brings big challenges:

• Electricity & grid demand — AI supercomputers and data centres consume vast power. The UK will need reliable, renewable energy sources to avoid bottlenecks.
  
  

• Skills gap — Companies will need tens of thousands of skilled engineers, operators, and researchers. Training and retraining the workforce is critical.
  
  

• Delivery risk — Hardware supply chains, regulatory approvals, and local planning could delay deployments.
  
  

• Regional impact — Success depends on whether AI growth zones create real benefits beyond London.
  
  

Advice for People in the UK

If you’re a worker, this wave of investment is an opportunity. Training in AI skills, cloud engineering, data analysis, and cybersecurity will put you in high demand. Even outside of pure tech, industries like healthcare, energy, finance, and manufacturing will need people who can apply AI responsibly. Look for apprenticeships, reskilling programmes, and local initiatives tied to these investments.

Advice for Companies

For UK businesses, the message is clear: AI compute will become cheaper and more accessible — but competition will be fierce. Companies should:

• Experiment early with AI tools before the infrastructure surge fully arrives.
  
  

• Plan for compliance as regulation of AI use tightens in step with investment.
  
  

• Partner locally — working with universities, AI clusters, and training providers will help secure talent.
  
  

• Prepare for higher energy costs — heavy compute may create local energy strains, so efficiency will be a competitive advantage.