The Scottish AI Growth Zone, based in Lanarkshire, has secured a £300m infrastructure financing package backed by the National Wealth Fund, and will be further bolstered by the opening of Dell Technologies new Scottish headquarters at the site.
AI Growth Zones are areas designated by the government as being centres of rapid development of both the underlying infrastructure that runs the technology as well as relevant AI skills.
The Scottish county of Lanarkshire was announced as the home of one of these zones back in January and is set to receive an expansion that is projected to support more than 3,400 jobs across technology, engineering, and construction, while providing sovereign compute capacity powered largely by Scotland’s renewable grid.
The investment includes a £202m guarantee from the National Wealth Fund that will support the wider £300m package that includes financing from ING, ABN, AMRO, Santander, the Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services.
The £300m funding package will enable Scottish data centre operator DataVita to expand its existing DV1 facility and construct a second facility on-site.
“The countries that build the infrastructure behind this technology will be the ones that attract investment, create jobs and help shape the industries of the future,” said AI Minister Kanishka Narayan.
“That’s why today’s announcements matter. They will help ensure Scotland is at the forefront of one of the biggest economic opportunities of our time, bringing investment, reindustrialisation and opportunities to communities like Lanarkshire.
“For local people, that means more than new buildings and technology. It means the chance to develop new skills, access new careers and benefit from the growth and investment that AI can bring.”
Danny Quinn, managing director at DataVita added: “There is plenty of talk about AI infrastructure just now. This project is being delivered: work is well advanced on site, every megawatt is contracted, and the first facility completes this year.
“This type of investment in Scotland’s data centre infrastructure would have been unthinkable just two or three years ago. That is the impact AI is having. Scotland has all the right ingredients to take advantage of the AI revolution and make it a core part of its economy.”
Alongside the infrastructure expansion, Dell Technologies announced its Scottish team will relocate to Mercury House within the Lanarkshire AI Innovation Park.
“Our Scottish team moving to Lanarkshire means we will join a growing community of organisations helping to advance AI innovation, skills and collaboration,” said Steve Young, senior vice president and UK managing director for Dell Technologies.
“Being part of that ecosystem will help us strengthen relationships across Scotland while continuing to support customers and partners across the UK on their AI journeys.”
