Exclusive:Edinburgh could be next as first Scottish AI growth zone announced
Kanishka Narayan said Scotland could become “a global AI powerhouse” as Lanarkshire was named as the UK’s latest AI Growth Zone.
A Labour minister has suggested that Edinburgh could be next after the UK Government announced its first Artificial Intelligence (AI) Growth Zone in Scotland.
Kanishka Narayan said Scotland could become “a global AI powerhouse” as Lanarkshire was named as the UK’s latest AI Growth Zone.
The UK Government AI minister was speaking to The Scotsman’s politics podcast, The Steamie.
The UK Government has said that the Lanarkshire growth zone will create more than 3,400 new jobs in the area.
Some £8.2 billion of private investment has been committed, with an additional £540 million to support the local community.
When asked if any other parts of Scotland would also be named as AI Growth Zones, Mr Narayan told The Steamie: “I had a fantastic visit to Edinburgh and spoke to a number of brilliant experts from right across Scotland.
“I'm always excited about the AI opportunity in Scotland.
“Today's announcement is about Lanarkshire, but I'm sure there's going to be a lot more in terms of wider AI opportunity in Scotland as well, and I'm very keen on playing a part in helping Scotland capture it.”
The Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone is to be delivered by data centre company DataVita - in partnership with AI cloud firm - CoreWeave - which has a site in Airdrie.
Of the 3,400 jobs, around 800 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.
Mr Narayan added: “Scotland has always been a nation of makers and problem-solvers. From game-changing inventions like television and penicillin, to today’s digital and supercomputing breakthroughs.
“The AI Growth Zone we’re building here doesn’t just start a new chapter in that story – it will transform the communities on its doorstep.
“It means almost 3,500 new jobs, billions of pounds of private investment, and over half a billion dedicated to local skills, training and community programmes. So people get the support they need and the benefits of AI stay right here.
“A year ago we launched our AI Opportunities Action Plan. We’ve delivered 75% of the commitments and we’re not slowing down.
“Today that work moves forward in Scotland. Working with readers of the Scotsman and communities across the country to make Scotland a global AI powerhouse that works for everyone.”
The UK Government said that when completed, Lanarkshire will be one of the most advanced AI sites anywhere in the world, with DataVita planning to include the generation of more than 500MW of on-site power to drive AI breakthroughs in the next four years.
It will also explore cutting-edge solutions to one of the most pressing challenges facing AI – energy consumption.
The energy powering this new Growth Zone will be drawn from on-site renewables, while plans will be explored so that excess heat - produced by cooling systems as they keep cutting-edge computers and tech in top working order - can be re-directed to power the nearby University Hospital Monklands.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “Getting on in life should not mean travelling miles from your community for work while struggling to pay the bills at home.
“By bringing billions of pounds of investment into Lanarkshire, we are creating good, wellpaid jobs and funding support that directly helps families with the cost of living.
“With strong progress made on our AI Opportunities Action Plan over the past year, now is the time to put our foot on the accelerator and ensure working people feel the benefits in every corner of the UK.”
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