Thu, 29 Jan 2026

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 Lanarkshire to become 'one of the world's most advanced AI sites'

About 800 AI industry jobs will be created with a further 2,600 roles in the construction sector.

* North Lanarkshire will become the home of an artificial intelligence "growth zone" with £8bn in private investment and a new community fund worth £543m over 15 years.
* The development is expected to create: + 800 jobs in the AI sector + 2,600 construction jobs through building data centres, supportive infrastructure, and a renewables park
* A community fund will be raised through work at the site, with funding going towards training packages, after-school coding clubs, and support for local charities and foodbanks.
* The growth zone is expected to make Lanarkshire "one of the most advanced AI sites anywhere in the world".
* Excess heat from the development will power University Hospital Monklands, making it the first fully net zero hospital in the country.
* The development is part of a government plan to establish AI growth zones across the UK.
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