Thousands of new AI jobs are coming to Scotland
Key Points
- DataVita will expand its Lanarkshire datacentre campus under a £300 million financing package, with the wider AI Growth Zone expected to support more than 3,400 jobs.
- The National Wealth Fund is guaranteeing £202 million of the lending, unlocking finance from ING, ABN AMRO, Santander, the Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services.
- Dell Technologies will base its Scottish team at Mercury House in Lanarkshire's AI Innovation Park.
- A £543 million community fund in development will pay for skills and training packages, after-school coding clubs and support for local charities and foodbanks.
- The first facility completes this year, putting the site among the first AI Growth Zones in the UK to install advanced chips.
DataVita will expand its Lanarkshire datacentre campus under a £300 million financing package that the UK government expects to help support more than 3,400 jobs.
The National Wealth Fund is providing a £202 million guarantee against £252.5 million of lending from ING, ABN AMRO and Santander, covering 80% of that tranche.
The Scottish National Investment Bank and Siemens Financial Services are providing the remainder without cover. The UK government and the Scottish Government announced the package on Tuesday (18 August), alongside Dell Technologies’ decision to base its Scottish team in the area.
The money will fund an expansion of DataVita’s existing DV1 datacentre and the construction of a second facility, creating work during both construction and operation.
DataVita said every megawatt is contracted and the first facility completes this year. The site is on track to be among the first AI Growth Zones in the UK to have advanced chips installed.
Dell Technologies will move its Scottish team to Mercury House in Lanarkshire’s AI Innovation Park.
“There is plenty of talk about AI infrastructure just now,” said Danny Quinn, managing director at DataVita. He said the company has built AI infrastructure in Scotland for more than ten years, covering the energy that powers it through to the applications that run on it.
Alongside the jobs, the development comes with skills and training opportunities aimed at helping local people move into technology, engineering, construction and AI roles.
A £543 million community fund is in the works, funding training packages, after-school coding clubs and support for local charities and foodbanks.
The Scottish Government puts private investment linked to the North Lanarkshire zone at more than £8 billion. “This investment marks a milestone in the creation of Scotland’s first AI Growth Zone in North Lanarkshire,” said Stephen Flynn, Scottish Government economy secretary.
He said ministers will keep working with DataVita and Growth Zone partners to realise the employment opportunities over the coming years.
Lanarkshire was selected for its energy supply and its position within Scotland’s electricity network. Renewables will supply the overwhelming majority of the site’s power, drawing on Scotland’s low-carbon energy mix.
“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 Kanishka Narayan, UK AI minister.
He added that the the announcements mean local people can develop new skills and access new careers close to home.
