The UK is attracting major global tech investments, from AI to fintech, creating highly-skilled jobs nationwide. Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle unveiled this news at London Tech Week, affirming the government’s commitment to tech as a central pillar of its growth strategy
The United Kingdom is poised to become a global technology powerhouse, as a wave of leading international tech firms announces significant investments across the nation. From cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) to burgeoning financial technology (fintech), these commitments are set to create hundreds of highly-skilled jobs from Edinburgh to Warwick, signalling a pivotal moment in the UK’s economic landscape.
The news was unveiled today by Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle at London Tech Week, where he affirmed the government’s unwavering commitment to making science and technology central to its modern Industrial Strategy and Plan for Change.
Major global tech investments fuelling UK hubs
A diverse array of global tech giants are making substantial pledges to the UK, many establishing a presence in the country for the first time. Among the key announcements:
- Liquidity (US AI Fintech):
- This global AI fintech firm will launch its European headquarters in London, pledging an additional £1.5 billion investment into cutting-edge enterprises over the next five years.
- InnovX AI (Europe Startup Hub):
- Investing £14.7 million into a new London technology hub, expected to create 30 new jobs.
- Nebius (Dutch AI Infrastructure):
- Committing £200 million initially to back the UK’s AI sector, with plans for a UK AI Factory in South East England that could generate thousands of jobs in decades to come.
- Capgemini (Global Business & Tech Partner):
- Expanding its UK footprint with a new London headquarters, following robust revenue growth.
- Netcompany (Danish IT Consultancy):
- Investing £2 million to expand its Leeds office and open a new site in Edinburgh.
- Ekimetrics (French AI Solutions):
- Pumping £8.5 million into its UK operations, creating over 150 roles in London over the next three years as part of its ‘Elevate 2028’ strategy.
- Yuno (Colombia Fintech):
- The rapidly expanding global fintech has chosen London as the site for its new European headquarters.
- Rebeldot (Romanian Software & Tech Consultancy):
- Opening its UK subsidiary in Warwick, marking a significant expansion of its presence in the country.
These investments, alongside existing partnerships such as the one announced with NVIDIA yesterday by the Prime Minister, are designed to ignite the growth necessary to deliver on the government’s ambitious Plan for Change.
Government initiatives to bolster the tech ecosystem
To support this influx of investment and foster a thriving tech environment, the government is introducing several key initiatives:
- R&D Commitment:
- An £86 billion commitment to funding for Research & Development (R&D) aims to drive innovation.
- AI Talent Attraction:
- A new £25 million scheme will launch the prestigious Turing AI ‘Global’ fellowships, attracting five top AI experts to the UK with substantial relocation packages.
- Workforce Development:
- £187 million is allocated for new schemes to train the tech workforce of tomorrow, complemented by £1 billion funding for the AI Research Resource announced yesterday.
- Venture Capital Fellowship:
- The Science and Technology Venture Capital Fellowship is opening for a second cohort, delivered by the Royal Academy of Engineering and Imperial Business School, to boost risk capital investment in early-stage science and tech businesses.
- Encode: AI for Science Fellowship:
- The government intends to fund a UK-based expansion of the Encode: AI for Science Fellowship, backed by up to £5 million from the UK Sovereign AI Unit, embedding world-class AI researchers into scientific labs.
- Spinouts Register:
- A world-first Spinouts Register has been launched, providing a comprehensive database of over 2,000 university spinouts formed since 2012/2013, to inform better policymaking and support. Initial findings reveal that university spinouts significantly outperform other start-ups, particularly in strategically important sectors like life sciences.
Ministerial perspectives on the future
Peter Kyle underscored the transformative power of technology. “We have all seen over the last few years, just how rapidly and profoundly technologies like AI are transforming the economy, and our society,” he stated. “Britain can – and must – be at the cutting edge of this change. The era of hesitancy is over: we can be the masters of our fate, and through the measures I am announcing today, we will harness the vast potential of our trillion-pound tech sector to help remake our country for the better. This is the Plan for Change, in action.”
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds echoed this sentiment, highlighting the UK’s appeal. “The UK continues to be a prime destination for tech businesses from across the world to come and succeed, and London Tech Week is a shining example of this,” Reynolds said. “Securing valuable high-tech investment is an integral mission of this government and seeing global investors put billions in the UK economy shows the Plan for Change is working, with more and more companies choosing Britain.”
The announcements underscore a holistic governmental approach to turbo-charging Britain’s tech sector, ensuring stability and certainty for businesses and positioning the UK as a leading global hub for innovation and growth in the decades ahead.
