North Ayrshire Council delighted by £15bn AI investment

As part of its long-term vision, AI Pathfinder plans to invest £15bn in West Scotland, beginning with an initial investment from 2026 that will see the start of operations at its North Ayrshire site in the i3 area of Irvine.

Up to 6,400 GPU’s will be deployed during that initial phase. This 1GW site is expected to scale into one of the largest AI infrastructure hubs in Europe, with the future potential to expand to 1.5GW.

Its investment in North Ayrshire is expected to create substantial employment opportunities, both through the delivery of the site’s construction and in the diverse range of skilled roles that will support its long-term operation

Councillor Tony Gurney, cabinet member for green environment and economy, said: “This is a hugely significant announcement and we recognise the enormous potential this offers our area, placing it at the vanguard of the AI revolution.

“We stand ready to become Scotland’s leading innovation and industrial investment region, delivering high-value AI at pace.

“Our vision for Ayrshire is to build wealth for everyone by creating opportunities for those who want to live, work, learn and invest in the region, these plans will assist in transforming that vision into reality.”

Councillor Gurney continued: “They align with the ambitions of our Ayrshire Regional Economic Strategy and with the £251Million Ayrshire Growth Deal and propel the region into a sustainable future where digital innovation not only thrives but significantly contributes to the country’s economic resilience and growth.

“The scale of this investment will be transformational for our young people and residents.

“It offers the chance to establish a local skills pipeline across construction, engineering, digital infrastructure, and data centre operations and will deliver major supply chain benefits which will ripple across Ayrshire businesses and beyond.”

Source: https://www.largsandmillportnews.com/