North Wales is in line for more than 3,400 new jobs as it is confirmed as the site for an AI Growth Zone.
The AI Growth Zone site straddles the Menai Strait, with a base at Prosperity Parc on Anglesey and another at Trawsfynydd in Gwynedd.
Work is already underway to secure an investment partner to help deliver the AI Growth Zone site, and construction work will start once a deal has been confirmed, the UK Government said.
The AI Growth Zone is led by a consortium including Stena Line and a number of regional bodies including Isle of Anglesey County Council and Bangor University.
AI Growth Zones, which were first announced in January, are designed to be hubs for AI development, bringing together the key building blocks of AI from processing power to research expertise.
New reforms on planning, energy access, and the provision of expert government support will help to accelerate AI Growth Zone development, said the UK Government.
£5 million in support will also be set aside for each AI Growth Zone at a local level for business adoption and skills. The money will be funnelled into regions to help accelerate economic growth, boost local research and development efforts, and support regional AI firms from start-up to scale-up. Taken together, these interventions will unlock up to £100 billion in additional investment into the AI Growth Zone programme, the UK Government said.
Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens said:
“North Wales is already home to a thriving and growing tech industry, and this announcement will supercharge the sector, delivering over 3,000 good jobs and bringing in millions in investment.
“This is a hugely significant step forward in our central mission to kickstart economic growth, create well-paid jobs and unlock opportunity in the industries of the future.”
Other reforms covering energy and planning include:
- Zones across Great Britain will be given priority access to the available capacity on the energy grid.
- An AI Planning team backed by £4.5 million will support local councils across the UK with expert advice and funding, making it easier for them to plan and approve new AI Infrastructure.
- Data centres in AI Growth Zones will get significant discounts on their electricity bills, if they are located in areas that could help to reduce the pressures on the energy network.
- Developers could be supported to connect their own high voltage lines and substations to power their data centres rather than waiting for network operators to do it.
The announcement came hours after North Wales was announced as the home of the first small modular reactor project, which will be sited at Wylfa. Subject to contract, the initial project will be for three small modular reactors, but Great British Energy-Nuclear assesses the site could potentially host up to eight mini reactors. The ambition is for Wylfa’s small modular reactors to be supplying power to the grid from the mid 2030s.
First Minister Eluned Morgan said:
“AI brings with it major opportunities for the Welsh economy which is why having a Growth Zone in North Wales is so critical for our ambitions as a Government. It will help us drive investment in this sector of the future to make sure Wales is right at the forefront of this transformational technology.
“In all my discussions with the Prime Minister, the Chancellor and other UK Ministers, I have had clear and deliverable asks for Wales. Today, two of my top priorities are being delivered together – a double win for Wales.”
