Lanarkshire has been chosen for AI Growth Zone status by the UK Government with a pledge to create over 3,400 high-skilled jobs for local people.
The region has been selected as an economic development zone for artificial intelligence with Airdrie-headquartered DataVita – working in partnership with US hyperscaler CoreWeave – named as the site to drive the plans forward.
Kirsty McNeill, Scotland Office Minister, said the plans represent a new era for the region, which has a proud industrial heritage, and will now be at the forefront of ‘writing the next chapter’.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall announced the plans last night, which follow months of speculation for the possible whereabouts in Scotland of an AI Growth Zone.
Confirmed AI Growth Zones already include Oxfordshire (Culham), the North East (Newcastle/Blyth), and North Wales (Anglesey/Trawsfynydd), alongside planned ones in South Wales.
Kendall said: “Today’s announcement is about creating good jobs, backing innovation and making sure the benefits AI will bring can be felt across the community – that’s how the UK government is delivering real change for the people of Scotland.
“From thousands of new jobs and billions in investment through to support for local people and their families, AI Growth Zones are bringing generation-defining opportunity to all corners of the country.”
Of the over 3,400 jobs set to be created in the coming years, the government committed to delivering 50 apprenticeships to nurture the next generation of Scottish AI expertise.
Eight hundred of the jobs are expected to focus on the high-paying AI jobs of the future, including everything from AI researchers and coders through to permanent staff who will run and maintain data centres.
The rest will be made up of immediate construction jobs, as attention turns to building out the entire site, including data centres, supportive infrastructure, and a renewables park.
Alongside £8.2 billion in private investment that will drive economic renewal in the local area, a new ‘community fund’ will inject up to £543 million into support for a range of local programmes over the next 15 years. ‘The money will come as a direct result of the work carried out at the site, being raised as data centre capacity comes online,’ the UK Government said.
The project brings together three integrated components: 500MW of AI-ready data centre capacity, over 1GW of private wire renewable energy infrastructure, and Innovation Parks designed to attract next-generation industries.
DataVita is building 500MW of hyperscale data centre capacity optimised for AI workloads. The facilities use closed-loop cooling systems with near-zero water consumption and will operate at a power usage effectiveness (PUE) of 1.15 – among the most efficient in the industry.
Over 1GW of renewable energy – wind, solar and battery storage – will be developed on private wire connections directly to the data centres. The system will be grid positive, exporting surplus clean energy to the national grid. Power costs will be sub-10p per kWh, with carbon intensity under 5 gCO₂e/kWh – 97% lower than the London grid average.
Danny Quinn, managing director of DataVita, said: “Scotland has everything AI needs – the talent, the green energy, and now the infrastructure. But this goes beyond the physical build. We’re creating innovation parks, new energy infrastructure, and attracting inward investment from some of the world’s leading technology companies. This is a real opportunity for North Lanarkshire, and we want to make sure local people share in it. The £543 million community fund means the benefits stay here – good jobs, new skills, and investment that actually reaches the people who live and work in this area.”
Ben Richardson, Managing Director of CoreWeave International, said: “The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone marks a meaningful step in moving the UK from AI ambition into AI in production.
“We’re proud to make this £1.5 billion investment with DataVita, delivering a production-grade AI cloud designed to run, scale, and evolve as AI becomes embedded across the economy. That long-term approach is what supports economic growth and strengthens the UK’s position in AI.”
Richard Lochhead, Scottish Government business minister, said: “We look forward to supporting the UK Government, Data Vita and partners in making the Lanarkshire Growth Zone a success and ensuring it delivers a lasting benefit for Scotland’s economy and society.”
Scotland Office Minister Kirsty McNeill said: “North Lanarkshire’s proud industrial heritage helped power Britain through the last century – from coal and steel to manufacturing. Today, we’re writing the next chapter, as this community becomes home to an advanced AI site. The area will once again be at the very heart of Scotland’s and Britain’s industrial story. “
