Google to invest £5bn in UK over next two years, starting with a Herts data centre
Located in Waltham Cross, the centre it is set to contribute to the creation of thousands of jobs
Google has announced plans to invest £5 billion in the UK over the next two years to support growing demand for artificial intelligence (AI) services.
The investment was confirmed as the company opened its first UK data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire, on Tuesday. Google said the expansion is expected to contribute to job creation and support economic growth.
The funding will go into capital expenditure, research and development, and related engineering. This will include work through Google DeepMind, its AI research operation based in London, focusing on science and healthcare.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who officially opened the data centre, said the decision represented a positive signal for the UK economy.
She said: “Google’s £5 billion investment is a powerful vote of confidence in the UK economy and the strength of our partnership with the US, creating jobs and economic growth for years to come.
“This Government is reversing decades of underinvestment that has held us back for too long, by slashing burdensome red tape, delivering bold reforms of the planning system and investing in better tech to unlock better jobs and opportunities.”
Google said it expects the investment to support around 8,250 jobs annually at UK businesses. The company highlighted growing demand for services including Google Cloud, Workspace, Search and Maps as key drivers behind the decision.
Demis Hassabis, co-founder and chief executive of Google DeepMind, said: “We founded DeepMind in London because we knew the UK had the potential and talent to be a global hub for pioneering AI.
“The UK has a rich history of being at the forefront of technology – from Lovelace to Babbage to Turing – so it’s fitting that we’re continuing that legacy by investing in the next wave of innovation and scientific discovery in the UK.”
The announcement comes amid reports that other major technology firms, including OpenAI and Nvidia, are preparing to outline further investment in UK data centres this week.