UK launches £1.1bn AI hardware plan, £750m supercomputer

The United Kingdom has launched a comprehensive national strategy to build its domestic artificial intelligence hardware sector, backed by over 1.1 billion pounds in new funding. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall unveiled the plan on Monday, June 8, at the opening of London Tech Week, framing it as a critical move to secure the country’s economic and technological sovereignty.

The centerpiece of the initiative is a 750 million pound national AI supercomputer, expected to be among the world's most advanced upon its deployment in 2030. Within that budget, 400 million pounds is allocated for procuring high-powered chips, with a priority on those designed in the UK. A separate 120 million pound AI Hardware Innovation Programme will fund British companies to design, develop, and test novel chips. Additional funding will expand a testing facility for inference technologies and support skills training through doctoral programs and undergraduate bursaries.

The strategy builds on a previously announced 400 million pound commitment for specialist AI chip purchases, part of a broader effort to create a guaranteed domestic market. Officials indicated that strategic government procurement,...