Tag: Department for Science Innovation and Technology

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 11 February 2025.

New AI models to diagnose and treat cancer and other incurable diseases will be made possible thanks to joint public-private investment giving flexible funding to British AI firms and researchers.

The UK government is today (Tuesday 11 February) unveiling £82.6 million in new flexible forms of research funding, plus a new commitment to give UK researchers access to cutting-edge computing resources as part of a plan to unlock the power of AI.

Two of the three projects benefiting from this support, which is helping to pioneer new ways of conducting research, will harness the power of AI to develop treatments and diagnostics for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s.

Coming as day two of the AI Action Summit gets underway, this is the latest evidence of the government’s commitment to seizing the potential of new technologies like AI to drive forward the Plan for Change, delivering economic growth and progress in key fields like health.

The government is putting £37.9 million backing behind three innovative British research projects, the Research Ventures Catalyst (RVC) programme. Together with a further £44.7 million in co-investment across the three projects, from other sources, this makes for a total £82.6 million backing.

The RVC programme is delivering novel ways of funding groundbreaking research, such as endowments, which are flexible and reflect the real needs of cutting-edge innovators. Too often, inflexible funding has been a barrier to some of the most innovative and creative research or has been an obstacle to new innovative businesses looking to scale-up. The RVC programme will support pioneering work training AI on the NHS’s vast pool of cancer data, drug discovery research, and more.

Today also sees the government expand UK involvement in the European High-Performance Computing (EuroHPC) Joint Undertaking by committing £7.8 million to fund UK researchers and businesses’ participation in EuroHPC research. This will mean British AI and high-performance computing researchers can work unobstructed with their peers across Europe. International collaboration and broad access to computational resources will be key to unlocking the benefits AI promises to deliver across society and the economy.

These announcements come on the final day of the AI Action Summit in France, where world leaders and AI companies have been holding a series of talks focused on the opportunities the technology can deliver for communities across the globe. The opportunities of AI are an area the UK government has placed a heavy focus on to kickstart 2025 – unveiling a new blueprint with 50 proposals in January which will spark a decade of national renewal.

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle said:

The focus of this Summit has been on how we can put AI to work in the public interest, and today’s announcements are living proof of how the UK is leading that charge through our Plan for Change.

We’ve already set out a bold new blueprint for AI which will help to spark a decade of national renewal, and key to that plan is supporting our expert researchers and businesses with the support they need to drive forward their game-changing innovations.

Today, we open new avenues for them to do exactly that – building bridges with our international partners so the entire global community can share in the boundless opportunities of AI-powered progress and backing new innovative companies applying AI to tackle real-world challenges.

Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

NHS innovation saved my life when I was diagnosed with cancer and treated by a world-class surgeon equipped with a robot. I want more patients to benefit from this kind of groundbreaking treatment, and AI will be central to our efforts.

This new funding is another step to unlock the enormous potential of AI for cancer research and drug discovery – ensuring more patients like me experience the highest quality care.

AI will help us speed up diagnoses, cut waiting times for patients and free up staff, as we deliver our Plan for Change and shift the NHS from analogue to digital.

EuroHPC is a high-powered compute partnership which pools EU resources with those of participating states. Businesses and researchers will now be supported to participate in EuroHPC research grants in the development of supercomputers and in their deployment to tackle the most pressing scientific challenges, working in tandem with like-minded partners on the continent. UKRI will work with businesses and researchers to support them to apply for grants where match-funding is available.

The three projects being supported by the Research Ventures Catalyst (RVC) programme.

PharosAI

£18.9 million government funding plus £24.7 million co-investment. PharosAI, whose King’s College London site is being visited by AI Minister Clark today, will bring together decades of NHS and Biobank data and host it on a unified, powerful, secure, AI platform. This will revolutionise cancer care by accelerating the development of the next generation of AI models which will deliver new breakthroughs for diagnosing and treating the disease – transforming outcomes for patients and saving lives.

Professor Anita Grigoriadis, Professor of Molecular and Digital Pathology at King’s College London, CEO of PharosAI said:

AI has the potential to revolutionise cancer care. The UK has a real opportunity to be a major innovator, leading to faster diagnosis, novel and more targeted cancer treatments, and better-informed healthcare for patients. PharosAI will democratise cancer AI and create an ecosystem to navigate the path to AI-powered precision medicine. Thanks to the RVC programme, we will build an unique operational approach between King’s College London, Queen Mary University of London, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust, Barts Health Trust and industry partners. Our innovative collaboration will accelerate scientific breakthroughs and bring vastly improved cancer care to tomorrow’s patients.

Bind Research

£12.9 million government funding plus £12.9 million co-investment. The team at Bind Research meanwhile will tap into AI to learn the rules of drugging currently undruggable proteins, offering hope to cure diseases that were once thought to be untreatable. It will do this by targeting disordered proteins associated with various diseases which could unlock scores of new avenues for treatment – potentially giving thousands of patients across the country a new lifeline.

Dr Gabi Heller, Dr Thomas Löhr, and Dr Gogulan Karunanithy, scientific co-founders, Bind Research said:

The Research Ventures Catalyst Programme has been a game changer for Bind Research. It allowed us to reimagine our approach by adopting a not-for-profit Focused Research Organisation model – a strategy that, until now, was largely uncharted territory in the UK. This innovative structure enables us to harness collective expertise to deliver AI-enhanced tools and datasets as public goods to advance our mission of making disordered proteins druggable for everyone.

MEMetic

£6.1 million government funding plus £7.1 million co-investment. MEMetic will receive funding for work to revolutionise water management by combining nature’s highly evolved solutions with state-of-the-art polymer chemistry. This will support them to develop new solutions in a range of fields from lithium recovery in battery recycling, to facilitating clean water access – helping the world tackle the climate crisis.

Professor Alan Goddard and Dr Matthew Derry, Aston University said:

MEMetic represents the culmination of years of planning a significant, challenging, interdisciplinary research program which promises massive real-world benefits. This RVC award will allow us to leverage our fundamental science to create bespoke bioinspired filtration membranes for a range of industries. Such research really requires long term funding which is set up to take research to an applied setting and the Research Venture we envisage perfectly matches our philanthropic aims for water treatment for all.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 10 February 2025.

Thousands of new jobs are set to be created as bidding opens for AI Growth Zones.

Thousands of new jobs are set to be created as the government opens bidding for its AI Growth Zones in a major drive to revitalise local communities as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

Local and regional authorities across the UK are being encouraged to put their communities forward to become dedicated hotbeds for AI infrastructure development and attracting millions in private investment.

The UK government will put particular focus on deindustrialised areas of the country to become the next AI Growth Zones as local and regional authorities submit their proposals, including sites with existing access to power or which would be suitable to establish major energy infrastructure.

This closely follows the AI Opportunities Action Plan, which has put the UK on course to revolutionise public services and become an AI superpower – already attracting over £14 billion in investment since launching just last month.

Secretary of State for Science, Innovation, and Technology, Peter Kyle, said:

We set out our new blueprint for AI less than a month ago, and we’re already delivering on that vision by harnessing technology to supercharge our Plan for Change.

These new AI Growth Zones will deliver untold opportunities – sparking new jobs, fresh investment and ensuring every corner of the country has a real stake in our AI-powered future.

We’re leaving no stone unturned in how we can harness expertise from all over the UK to deliver new opportunities, fresh growth, better public services and cement our position as an AI pioneer, and that’s the message I will be sending to international partners and AI companies at the AI Action Summit.

As part of the talks, he will also bang the drum for more inward investment to deliver the AI Opportunities Action Plan, including to build the infrastructure needed across AI Growth Zones.

Industry – including energy companies and data centre developers – are also being called upon to help drive forward government plans to rollout AI Growth Zones. Their proposals will help to inform the final selection of sites and broader policy decisions later this year, meaning the government will be able to move swiftly to secure investment and drive growth in regions across the country.

Interest is already building for promising sites in Scotland, Wales, the North East, and North West, with further exploratory work now set to begin on additional locations across the UK.

Scotland Office Minister, Kirsty McNeill, said:

Scotland has always been a leader in innovation, with our rich history of pioneering advancements in fields such as engineering, medicine, and technology, which continues today.

The UK government’s Plan for Change looks to harness AI’s potential in these industries and unlock new opportunities for innovation and economic growth.

Scotland is already at the centre of these plans, with our world-leading universities at the forefront of AI development and our industrial heritage providing a range of possible sites.  I would encourage our Local Authorities to explore becoming an AI Growth Zone, which will help attract further investment.

These areas will speed up planning permission to rapidly build AI infrastructure including data centres and give them the energy connections needed to power AI innovations in areas like healthcare. As part of this, the government will work with network operators to rapidly scale each zone to 500MW+, enough to power roughly two million homes.

This will attract significant private investment, create local jobs and strengthen the UK’s global AI leadership – delivering opportunities for working people across the country as part of the AI Opportunities Action Plan announced less than two weeks ago. The ideal ingredients and key criteria for communities looking to host AI Growth Zones include:

• sites with large existing power connections (with a current capacity of 500+ MW) or a clear vision on how energy capacity can be increased.
• deindustrialised areas with land and infrastructure standing ready for redevelopment.
• locations close to suitable sites for major energy infrastructure such as nuclear reactors, solar stations and wind farms, or battery storage.

This expression of interest also extends to AI data centre companies and energy firms who are looking to tap into the potential of AI Growth Zones to deliver on the government’s AI blueprint.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:

It was great to be invited to visit 10 Downing Street last week to talk about the massive potential AI has to bring a huge leap forward in industries across our nation.

Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool has always been at the forefront of cutting-edge technology – from the friction match to the railways and the chemical industry.

My job above everything is to bring good, well-paid, long-term jobs to local people. We have everything we need to host an AI Growth Zone in our region. We have the land, we have the power and we have shown in our efforts at Teesworks how we can get huge projects moving forward at pace.

As part of these industry proposals, data centre developers and energy firms are being called on to set out: timelines and development milestones which detail how they will plan to ramp up energy capacity; partnership opportunities with local authorities and a plan for how their proposals will support the UK’s AI ambitions, as well as what additional support is needed from government to help drive forward their proposals.

Announcing its response to the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the government confirmed the first of these AI Growth Zones will be based in Culham, Oxfordshire – home of the UK’s Atomic Energy Authority. This site will also serve as a testing ground to drive forward research on how sustainable energy like fusion technology can power the UK’s AI ambitions. The creation of a new AI Energy Council chaired by the Science and Energy Secretaries will also help to ensure responsible energy sources are being used to drive forward the UK’s AI blueprint, directly supporting the government’s mission to become a clean energy superpower.

The AI Opportunities Action Plan announced last month is also at the heart of the government’s Industrial Strategy and the first plank of the upcoming Digital and Technology Sector Plan, to be published in the coming months. Following the opening of the expression of interest, the government will open the formal selection process in the spring, with the first AI Growth Zones then due to be announced in the summer.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 4 February 2025.

Key specialists are being called upon to join a board advising the UK government in seizing the transformative potential of quantum technologies today.

Key specialists are being called upon to join a board advising the UK government in seizing the transformative potential of quantum technologies today (Tuesday 4 February).

An Expression of Interest (EOI) has now launched for new members to join DSIT’s Quantum Strategic Advisory Board (SAB).

The recruitment push comes as a UK delegation is set to fly the flag for British quantum at a global event in Paris celebrating quantum’s remarkable impact on the world in the past century.

With at least 160 companies active up and down the country, the UK is home to the second largest quantum sector globally, strongly supported by investment from the public and private sectors.

To raise awareness of how quantum innovations are improving our lives by driving growth, creating jobs and delivering breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, UK officials, led by the National Technology Advisor, will mark the start of the International Year of Quantum in Paris today.

The event, convened by UNESCO, marks 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics, and brings together the leading lights in the field from across the entire world to exchange ideas and showcase best practices in quantum science education, research and industry applications.

Quantum technologies harness the unique properties of subatomic particles to process information and solve pressing problems in a new way. New innovations in quantum, such as improved health diagnostics and future proofing cyber security to make our streets safe, will help drive the government’s Plan for Change.

To seize the potential of this technology and support the UK’s vision to be a leading quantum-enabled economy, DSIT is expanding and bolstering its Quantum Strategic Advisory Board.

UK Science Minister Lord Vallance said:

Joining the Quantum Advisory Board is a great opportunity for those who understand the potential of quantum best to help harness the benefits of quantum for the economy and society.

This government restates its commitment to quantum science and technology and the advice of the Board will be invaluable as we continue to play a key role in ensuring the UK maintains its leadership in this area.

UK National Technology Advisor, Dave Smith said:

It’s only right that in 2025 we are celebrating quantum’s transformative potential. From telecommunications to improved medical imaging, quantum science and technology has been central to the groundbreaking innovations of this century.

The future innovations that could emerge from this technology will help us to benefit from the enlightened combination of long-term partnership from academia, government and the private sector. They will benefit all of us in our daily lives and grow brilliant UK companies and create jobs.

Leading experts from academic and industry can apply to join the Board, chaired by Sir Peter Knight, and advise the UK government on quantum technologies, contributing to the implementation of the National Quantum Strategy.

As a critical technology that offers solutions in almost every sector, from healthcare to energy, quantum will form an important part of the government’s forthcoming industrial strategy.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 29 January 2025.

A landmark Scottish rocket launch is set to solidify the UK as a European leader in the space sector.

A landmark Scottish rocket launch is set to solidify the UK as a European leader in the space sector, following a £20 million government investment in UK launch company Orbex to build and launch a rocket from the shores of Scotland.

Tech Secretary Peter Kyle announced the investment today (29th January) at Brussels’ European Space Conference, positioning Britain as a leading international partner and cooperator in Europe’s access to space. The investment will help to fund Orbex’s rocket Prime, the first UK-manufactured and UK-launched orbital rocket.

Prime is set to take off from late 2025 at Scottish spaceport SaxaVord, one of two licensed vertical launch spaceports in Europe. It will catalyse the UK’s position as a leading small satellite manufacturer and global space leader, and support 140 highly paid jobs in the region as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The investment will contribute to this government’s mission to grow the economy, boosting the UK’s ability to regularly launch rockets into orbit from its shores and attracting launch investment into the UK.

With European demand for satellites up to 2033 forecasted to be worth $50 billion, even 2% of this would bring around $1 billion in revenues for the UK economy alone.

Developing Britain’s launch capabilities is already helping to bring new jobs and economic benefits to communities and organisations across the UK. So far, the Prime project has created more than 140 highly skilled jobs in Forres, with many more anticipated as the company continues to grow.

The launch of Prime will also help to inspire a new generation of British space professionals. By showcasing the pivotal role of Britain in the space age, government is investing now to ensure a sector that is vibrant, innovative, and above all, successful in achieving our goal for the UK to become a leading European provider of small satellite launch.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Britain’s impressive toolkit of scientific talent, world class facilities, and unique geography means we stand ready to lead the charge and to work together with our international partners as a key part of the new space revolution in Europe.

By investing £20 million in this rocket launch, we are not only helping the country to become a leading destination for small satellite launches in Europe but bringing highly skilled jobs and investment to communities and organisations across the UK, as part of our Plan for Change.

Supporting Orbex’s launch will also turbocharge the country’s position in the space sector and inspire our next generation of space professionals, who will be able to design, test, build and launch British rockets, carrying British satellites, from British soil.

Designed to launch satellites into orbit, Prime will benefit from the UK’s latitude, with Scotland’s geographical positioning providing easy access to valuable polar orbits.

The British-built Prime is also Europe-leading in its pioneering approach to sustainability.  It is poised to become the first in a new generation of ultra green launch systems, powered by renewable bio-propane fuel, which cuts carbon emissions significantly compared to other similarly sized rockets being developed elsewhere around the world.

The rocket is also designed to be re-useable. Upon returning to Earth, what does not burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere will be recovered and components will be refurbished and reused in future projects.

Britain is already a key player in the satellite industry, with Glasgow building more satellites than any other city in Europe.

Dr Paul Bate CEO UK Space Agency said:

Space is a fast-growing global industry and there is a real opportunity for the UK to play a greater role now than ever before. This new government investment is not just about launching a rocket, but building a more prosperous future for all, powered by space technology.

Orbex is a highly innovative company that can serve customers in the UK, Europe and beyond with its Prime launch vehicle, create hundreds of high skilled jobs in Scotland and inspire a new generation to reach for the stars. We will work closely with them as we countdown to launch, continue to develop our national space capabilities, and strengthen our international partnerships.

Scotland Office Minister, Kirsty McNeill, said:

It’s an exciting time for the Scottish space sector and this £20 million investment from the UK government in Orbex will help Scotland maintain our position as a leader as we look forward to the first satellite launch later this year.

This important industry is playing a vital role in our Plan for Change, helping economic growth and employing thousands of people in good quality jobs, often in small towns and rural communities, across the country.

Phillip Chambers, CEO of Orbex, said:

This first of a kind investment by the UK government demonstrates its confidence in the UK’s space rocket manufacturing and launch sector and is an exciting start to the opening of our Series D fundraising. We are entering the final preparations to deliver the most flexible and environmentally sustainable launch services to the global satellite industry.

This investment paves the way not only for us to launch our first rocket this year but also to develop a larger rocket to enable us to compete in the European Launcher Challenge. These development goals are crucial to our longer-term development.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 19 January 2025.

Public sector workers are being held back by archaic technology according to a new report set to be published on Tuesday.

• Public sector workers are being held back by archaic technology – crippling productivity and slashing public satisfaction in services, according to a new report set to be published on Tuesday.
• Inheritance from previous government shows an overreliance on contractors sending costs rocketing and how outages and cyber-attacks are putting NHS and public services in jeopardy.
• Comes ahead of ambitious reforms and new tech putting AI and digital technology to work for the public sector, delivering on the AI Opportunities Action Plan and saving taxpayers billions while improving public services to deliver across Plan for Change.
• New AI tools ‘Connect’ and ‘Scout’ also announced to help speed up clean power connections and keep mega-projects running to time, driving growth and lowering energy bills in the long term.

Taxpayer funded services from the NHS to local councils are missing out on £45 billion in productivity savings – more than enough to pay for every primary school in the UK for a full year – because they are too often dependent on old and outdated technology.

With nearly half of public services unable to be accessed online, people are spending too much time applying for support in person, including time on hold or travelling to council offices. Public sector workers are also wasting time sifting through physical letters. This means response times are unnecessarily long with British citizens paying the price and wasting valuable time on government admin.

Examples highlighted in a new report set to be published this Tuesday show the shocking state the previous government left public technology. It includes outdated examples including the need to register a death in person, which demands time from people unnecessarily as they are mourning the death of a loved and the pointless burdens placed on small businesses, like forcing firms to put an advert in their local paper when they want to buy a lorry – getting in the way of growth.

Some departments manage over 500 paper-based services and a lack of information sharing between departments further hampers citizens, often the most vulnerable. For example, patients with long term health conditions can be forces to speak to over 40 different services to access the care and support they need and are entitled to, with these different public bodies rarely sharing information, leaving people to repeat themselves time and again.

To tackle these issues, the Technology Secretary will use digital tools, AI and common sense to overhaul public sector technology – so it saves money, treats people with respect, and just makes sense. He will set out a wholesale reshaping of how services use technology, reaching across local government, the NHS, and more, in a bid to modernise the state.

The changes due to be announced could save taxpayers billions by making public services more productive, as well as freeing up public servants and doctors to spend more time helping the people they serve. The changes will also make it easier for people to access government services and drive economic growth by supporting businesses get the approvals they need more quickly – delivering on multiple aims of the Government’s Plan for Change.

Just over a week after the AI Opportunities Action Plan, the changes will deliver on key recommendations by transforming citizens’ experiences of government services, improving productivity and strengthening the foundations from how data is used, to boosting skills, and attracting talent.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Technology that sits at the foundation of our country has been left to wither and decay under the hands of the previous government, too often grinding to a halt and stalling essential public services – racking up a huge bill for the taxpayer.

It doesn’t have to be this way – and it won’t be with our Plan for Change. There is a £45 billion jackpot for the public sector if we get technology adoption right, that’s twice the size of the black hole we faced when we took office, and it’s not an opportunity we can let pass us by.    The new findings are also expected to show government departments have been pushed towards bringing in contractors and consultants to complete basic technological tasks instead of full-time staff. This trend was driven by weak salaries and headcount restrictions that stopped departments. This is despite them costing three times more than civil servants and eating up £14.5 billion in taxpayer money a year.

Findings will show that over one-in-four digital systems used by central government were found to be outdated. In the worst cases, this figure almost tripled (70%). This outdated technology can rack up huge maintenance costs, ultimately resulting in the taxpayer paying out three-to-four times more than if the technology was kept up to date.

A growing number of these outdated systems are “red-rated” for reliability and security risk. The report found that NHS England alone saw 123 critical service outages last year, often meaning appointments are missed and patients can’t get the care they need because staff were forced back to using paper-based systems.

Among the reforms to be announced later this week, a new offering from an expanded Government Digital Service will search for vulnerabilities across the public sector that hackers could use to shut down essential services and stop citizens accessing critical support. Support will then help different organisations fix these issues and make the UK more resilient to cyber attacks.

Energy AI tool – ‘Connect’

The Government is also today unveiling new AI tools that will help to speed up the queue to connect clean energy projects to the national grid, helping to reduce energy bills and power the AI economy amid plans to boost the UK’s computing power to drive growth, as part of the Plan for Change.

Connect, developed by AI experts in Whitehall, is an AI tool under development that could help to reduce delays large-scale energy generation projects, like wind and solar farms, are facing to get a connection to the electricity grid. New sources of clean, renewable energy will not only protect billpayers from unstable fossil fuel markets, but boost the UK’s wider energy security ambitions – freeing us up from relying on foreign sources of power and breaking the energy monopoly which countries like Russia currently control.

The technology will also support the work of the newly announced AI Energy Council, bringing together energy producers and big tech companies to understand the power demands of AI and the Government’s ambition to expand compute capacity by twenty times.

Over the last five years, the grid connection queue has grown tenfold and now contains over four times the amount of energy generation the UK is predicted to need by 2050. Many of these projects are speculative or do not have the necessary funding or planning permission to progress, causing delays for viable projects behind them.

Added to this, the ‘first-come, first-served’ connection process, and much-needed upgrades to the grid’s capacity, are contributing to energy developers facing delays of up to 10 years to get new renewable electricity flowing into the grid.

With input from the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero, Ofgem and the National Energy System Operator, the team behind ‘Connect’ are exploring how this work – powered by AI – could be applied to better match energy generation projects – like ready-to-go large scale wind farm projects stuck in a queue – to grid capacity where it is available.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said:

This innovative use of AI could help us clean up the queue and slash waiting times to hook important energy projects up to the electricity grid, which is key to delivering our clean power by 2030 mission.

The sooner we can get more homegrown renewable energy onto the grid, the quicker we can deliver on our Plan for Change and homes and businesses can benefit from a new era of clean electricity.

Infrastructure AI tool – ‘Scout’

“Scout” is another tool developed by the team, which will help officials make sure major multi-billion-pound projects are delivered on time and to budget – whether that’s a new motorway or a mid-sized hospital. It does this by automatically analysing thousands of documents to help detect problems earlier, enabling timely interventions that keep critical projects on track.

The tool replaces manual processes where up to 150 reports and documents are reviewed, leading to crucial details being glossed over and opportunities to prevent problems missed. It will help civil servants to be more efficient, and improve the government’s ability to run multi-billion-pound projects to time and budget, fixing the foundations of our economy as we drive ahead in delivering economic growth.

In the tool’s analysis, it follows stringent guidelines set by the Infrastructure and Projects Authority,  and cuts manual processing time from hours in five minutes.

These tools are being announced following Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunity’s Action plan, where the Government accepted his recommendation to scale successful AI pilot projects within government. The wider plan looks to unleash AI to drive economic growth across the UK and deliver the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change.

Notes to editors:

• The State of Digital Government Report, with support from Bain & Company, is based on insights from over 500 leaders across 120 organisations, data from 100+ entities, and input from 65 stakeholders across public, private, and third sectors. It will be published next week in full.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 15 January 2025.

An average of £200 million in private sector investment has been funnelled into the UK’s world leading AI sector every day since last summer.

An average of £200 million in private sector investment has been funnelled into the UK’s world leading AI sector a day since the new government took office last summer – an average of more than £8.3 million every hour – fuelling the Plan for Change to fix the foundations of the economy.

More than £14 billion pounds worth of investment into the UK and thousands of new jobs have been confirmed in just 48 hours since the AI Opportunities Action Plan was published, as companies from around the world back Britain’s new blueprint to ensure it can fully realise the opportunities of artificial intelligence.

It follows £25 billion worth of new investment into the UK’s data centre infrastructure announced at the Global Investment Summit earlier this year, bringing the total to £39 billion in the last six months.

Cementing the UK’s position as the global destination for AI, a wave of global companies have put their weight behind the UK’s new vision for the technology which was unveiled by the Prime Minister and Technology Secretary on Monday.

In a move to bolster our AI infrastructure, American AI cloud-computing company CoreWeave has set to work using cutting edge NVIDIA technology to ramp up the UK’s compute capacity – a key pillar of the government’s new vision for AI. They are doing this at their Data Centre sites in Crawley and London Docklands – their first bases in the UK – rolling out a new compute platform by delivering state-of-the-art processors through its specialized cloud platform, purpose-built to provide highly performant and efficient infrastructure for AI workloads. This has opened up a new world of processing power to Britain’s innovators, and follows the company’s decision to base its European Headquarters in London and invest £1.75 billion into the UK in 2024.

Putting the right building blocks in place to help British companies scale up and become AI leaders is also central to the new blueprint set out by the government. Synthesia – a London based company which is the market leader in software for AI-generated video content – are the latest to be riding this wave of momentum with a successful funding round which has seen their value swell to $2.1 billion. This investment will support Synthesia’s growth and expansion ambitions, as it aims to become one of Britain’s most valuable AI companies.

Secretary of State for Science, Technology, and Innovation, Peter Kyle said:

This week we begin a new chapter – putting AI in the driving seat to power the government’s Plan for Change and deliver better lives for everyone in the country.

The steps we’re taking forward from Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunities Action Plan represent a step change in how the UK manages this technology – unlocking a fresh start for our economy and for working people.

By attracting more than £14 billion in new investment and thousands of fresh jobs since unveiling our new blueprint from companies across the globe, the message is clear – the UK’s pull as a magnet for AI innovation and growth will only go from strength to strength.

Supporting the government’s laser-focus of spreading the benefits of AI across the economy, Tech Nation – part of Founders Forum group – Merantix, and Onfido Founder Husayn Kassai, in partnership with Techspace, have also committed today to launching a new dedicated AI hub in London. The London AI Hub will serve as a new epicentre for collaboration and innovation based in Farringdon. Creating a vital focal point for AI innovators to come together and collaborate, companies are now set to move into the Hub from next month.

In an announcement earlier this week, one of our leading home-grown success stories Nscale also committed to delivering a $2.5 billion investment to support the UK’s data centre infrastructure over the next three years. Deepening their commitment even further, they have also put pen to paper on a contract to build the largest UK sovereign AI data centre in Loughton, Essex by 2026. The site is expected to be up and running in late 2026, unlocking more than 750 jobs during its construction and a further 250 permanent roles which will then drive forward its work – delivering new opportunities for people across the region.

Further support has also come from Vantage Data Centers, who are committed to continuing to expand their footprint in the UK, with a more than £12 billion funding commitment which will deliver 11,500 jobs across the UK and will meet the growing demand for cloud-based services and technology.

In a further jobs boost, French AI giant Mistral also unveiled plans last week to make the UK their home from home with a new office in London – its first European base outside France – with plans to double its UK workforce by the end of 2025. Kyndryl – the world’s largest IT infrastructure services provider and a leading IT consultancy – has also announced plans to create up to 1,000 AI-related jobs in Liverpool over the next three years. This new tech hub will share the government’s ambition to roll AI out across the country to help grow the economy and foster the next generation of talent.

Setting out a plan to turbocharge AI on Monday (13 January), the Prime Minister committed to harnessing the technology to turbocharge growth and boost living standards to deliver on the government’s Plan for Change. Every lever of the state has now swung into action to deliver on the 50 proposals from AI entrepreneur Matt Clifford’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, with a singular focus on making the UK a magnet for firms looking to invest, scale, and grow their businesses.

The plan includes initiatives that will help make the UK the number one place for AI firms to invest, which is vital if Britain is to be at the forefront of this industry and be a change-maker rather than a change-taker.

Further Information

• The Vantage Data Centres anticipated investment, some of which is subject to planning permission and agreed connection timelines, is expected to support over 10,000 local construction jobs over the next decade, and create over 1,500 operational roles at its data centres.
• Read about the UK’s new blueprint for AI.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 14 January 2025.

Small businesses across the country will be helped to boost their productivity and efficiency through AI tools set to be trialled.

Small businesses across the country will be helped to boost their productivity and efficiency through AI tools set to be trialled – from tech that predicts potholes before they form, to AI models that help farmers make their dairy cows produce greater yields.

Announced today (Tuesday 14 January), the 120 projects will receive a share of £7 million in UK Government funding, enabling them to test AI tech that could give a boost to a whole range of businesses: from agriculture, to transport, to construction and more.

AI is set to be the defining technology of the 21st Century. It is already boosting businesses’ productivity and overhauling public services like healthcare and education.  The government is taking action to help Britain’s businesses and job-creators embrace AI, so they can be more productive, competitive, and deliver the growth the UK needs to improve public services and put more cash in hardworking people’s pockets as part of the PM’s Plan for Change. As Europe’s number one destination for AI businesses, the UK is already well-positioned to seize this opportunity.

The support announced today is focused on how AI could help smaller companies tackle pressing challenges to their businesses, and how researchers can use this tech to take on everyday problems we all live with.

This backing is what the Government’s Plan for Change looks like in action, giving people the tools they need to harness the power of new technologies like AI, which will ultimately grow the economy and benefit everyone. Other projects include:

• Using AI to cut food waste – and thereby protect profit margins – at a bakery by accurately predicting sales and forecasting how much of each product needs to be made daily.
• Road-testing an AI tool that can predict potholes before they form, so roads can be repaired earlier and more cheaply, and before they cause expensive damage to vehicles.
• Trialling an AI model that anticipates where mould is likely to grow in buildings, so they can be remediated before they become a health and safety issue.

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Putting AI to work right across the economy can help businesses cut waste, move faster and be more productive.

The huge range of projects receiving funding today, from farmers and bakers to those tackling potholes on our roads and mould in residential properties, demonstrates the truly limitless benefits of AI that are there for the taking.

And take them we will, with our 50-point AI Opportunities Plan, published yesterday, to unleash AI across the UK, delivering a decade of national renewal and firing up our Plan for Change.

The funding forms part of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Missions Fund, with the support being delivered by the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme.

This announcement builds on the AI Opportunities Action Plan published yesterday, which sets out the Government’s ambitious vision to ramp up the adoption of AI right across the economy. The Plan is a roadmap to spread AI adoption across every part of the UK, help boost living standards, create jobs and unleash economic growth. The difference AI is set to make to all walks of life is further underlined by this week’s announcement of £1 million funding to develop bespoke AI tools to support teachers and transform education – with almost half of teachers across the country already using AI to help with their work.

As the projects today’s funding will support show – from tech to help strawberry farmers protect their yields, to tools to help town planners predict their area’s future transport needs – AI could make a positive impact in every field of work in the UK, and will be critical to kickstarting the growth the country needs. On top of the monetary support, the BridgeAI programme supports businesses by allowing them to tap into training and scientific expertise, as well as offering wider expert advice and guidance to develop their AI innovations.

Dr Kedar Pandya, UKRI Technology Missions Fund Senior Responsible Owner and Executive Director of Cross-Council programme at UKRI’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, said:

Today’s investment, funded through UKRI’s Technology Missions Fund, is a major boost to the BridgeAI’s target sectors where the adoption of AI technologies could help to improve productivity and efficiency.

UKRI is in a unique position to bring together businesses and research organisations across a wide range of sectors to discover where AI can make the most difference to people’s lives and the UK economy.

Esra Kasapoglu, Director of AI & Data Economy at UKRI-Innovate UK said:

The adoption of AI in UK industry is fundamental to supporting the country’s economic growth.  Today’s investment will enable us, through BridgeAI, to help more companies to unlock the potential of AI in their business.

It will also allow further development of projects already demonstrating impact to continue their AI journey.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 8 January 2025.

More than 30 projects across England and Northern Ireland will deliver targeted support to boost the UK’s cyber resilience.

More than 30 projects across England and Northern Ireland will deliver targeted support to boost the UK’s cyber resilience – from new ways to better protect businesses and families from potential cyber-attacks, to providing training to increase the nation’s cyber skills – as the government drives forward its Plan for Change to grow the economy and ensure the UK’s digital security.

Announced today (8th January), the new projects will receive a share of £1.9 million in UK government and private funding to bolster the UK’s cyber defences and make sure the country has the cyber workforce it needs as the threat of attacks rises, with schemes in Northern Ireland, the Midlands, Yorkshire and Humber, the South West, North East and North West of England set to benefit.

The UK’s cyber sector is a true success story, contributing £11.9 billion to the British economy. The increasing number of threats we face online though means demand for trained cyber professionals is continuing to rise, with almost half of UK businesses currently reporting a cyber skills shortage. These projects will now help plug the gaps and meet that demand – giving people across the country the skills they need to explore new, highly-paid careers in cyber to ensure the wider security of technology and digital services across the economy.

First announced at a global cyber security meeting convened by the UK in September, these projects – delivered by organisations such as universities, local community groups and businesses – will tap into local know-how and partnerships to support initiatives which meet the needs of individual areas, plugging skills gaps to help keep the UK safe online by providing training for a wide range of groups including everyone from secondary school students and apprentices to working professionals.

Among the projects being supported are programmes in the South West and Yorkshire to upskill workers in small businesses, and a scheme in the North West of England which will unlock new avenues for communities to explore careers in cyber.

A project in Northern Ireland meanwhile will explore how to encourage more neurodiverse workers into the field – boosting the diversity of the UK’s cyber talent pipeline. While a programme in the West Midlands will focus on supporting women and girls to protect them from cyber violence and abuse.

Combined, these projects will help to deliver a stronger workforce, unlock new opportunities, and improve skills right across the country, helping keep the UK’s digital economy safe and secure and ultimately putting more money in people’s pockets as part of our Plan for Change.

Minister for Cyber Security Feryal Clark said:

We live more and more of our lives online – whether that’s for our weekly shopping, banking, browsing the web to book a holiday, or simply staying in touch with our loved ones.

But our growing digital economy is also worth billions to the economy. That’s why having strong defences in place is more important than ever – and as part of our Plan for Change to grow our economy, we also need to protect it.

Attempts to disrupt the technologies and services we rely on daily continue to grow, so we’re leaving no stone un-turned to make sure our communities have the skills to rise to the challenge.

It’s also vital we develop a diverse and talented cyber security workforce, which is why the next phase of the Cyber Explorers Cup competition will be vital in identifying the UK’s cyber leaders of tomorrow.

National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) Director for National Resilience and Future Technology, Jonathan Ellison said:

These projects will help enhance the UK’s cyber resilience by empowering local communities with the skills and support needed to combat growing digital threats.

By upskilling small businesses and individuals, investing in workforce development and encouraging neurodiverse talent, government and industry partners are fostering robust and diverse cyber communities for the future.

This is vital for protecting our digital economy, creating new opportunities for secure innovation and helping make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

Stella Peace, Interim Executive Chair, Innovate UK, said:

Innovate UK are delighted to celebrate the winners of the first Cyber Local competition as they begin their funded projects.

These initiatives play a vital role in addressing the cyber skills gap by equipping local communities with essential cyber security skills and creating greater opportunities for individuals, particularly from underrepresented demographics, to pursue careers in this dynamic sector.

By fostering area partnerships and building strong links between industry, the public sector, and academia, these projects will strengthen local cyber security ecosystems and drive innovation. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these investments will have on both local communities and the broader national cyber resilience.

Encouraging the UK’s brightest young minds into careers in the field is a vital part of building up the country’s online defences and delivering a strong cyber security workforce. The Cyber Explorers Cup competition, launching its second round today, will fuel that drive and help meet the significant demand for cyber security workers in the UK for years to come. Cyber Explorers is a free, interactive cyber security learning platform which has been rolled out to secondary schools across the UK. Focused on 11 to 14 year olds, the programme looks to build essential digital skills to arm students with the tools they need to launch careers in cyber security.

The Cyber Explorers Cup will see competitors from across the country taking part in a series of ‘capture the flag’ style cyber security challenges, solving cyber puzzles and boosting their cyber security knowledge.

To be eligible, students will need to complete a minimum of 3 missions on the Cyber Explorers platform. Building on the strength of last year’s edition which saw 680 students taking part, winners will take home both a certificate of achievement and be supported to join the cyber security workforce in the future through career days with cyber experts.

The steps being taken today show how the government is delivering on its Plan for Change to kickstart 2025 – and as it prepares to introduce a new Cyber Security and Resilience Bill – ensuring the safety and security of our digital economy while unlocking new opportunities for people and communities across the country. They will ensure the UK can meet long-term demand for cyber experts, while also supporting the delivery of new jobs to boost long-term economic growth and ultimately put more money in people’s pockets.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 7 January 2025.

Around 131,000 homes and businesses across the country will no longer be stuck with slow internet speeds as the UK government’s rollout of gigabit connectivity races ahead.

Some of Britain’s most isolated communities will benefit from faster broadband speeds, giving them better access to a range of services including healthcare at home through virtual consultations and remote monitoring, and helping to combat loneliness by ensuring pensioners can access high-quality video calls.

It will also support businesses to better grow and serve their customers online and help young people have a better start in life through access to online education and the resources to apply and interview for jobs.

Project Gigabit plays a key role in plans to kickstart economic growth and break down barriers to opportunity as part of the government’s Plan for Change. With faster internet speeds across the country, communities that would otherwise be left behind with outdated broadband networks will be able to make the most of what the digital world has to offer.

Areas set to benefit include the Dee Valley, Isle of Anglesey, and Shropshire Hills as 4 new contracts – worth over £289 million – have been signed by the UK government and Openreach. This will deliver the fastest, most reliable broadband networks on the market to hundreds of towns and villages in rural Britain and plug the digital divide outside urban areas.

Areas to benefit from the new contracts include North and Southwest Wales, Shropshire, Herefordshire, Devon, Somerset, Essex, North East England and Worcestershire.

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said:

We are determined to deliver the infrastructure this country needs to thrive, and I am thrilled to see so many homes and businesses in all areas of the country getting access to the fastest broadband speeds on the market through Project Gigabit.

With today’s £289 million investment, we are not only boosting connectivity, but making it easier to access remote healthcare, online education, shopping online. work, learn, shop and stay in touch with loved ones online.

As part of this government’s Plan for Change, we will plug digital divides, helping to make the UK a more equal society where everyone is given a fair shot in life.

The latest contracts add to the 96,600 premises already set to benefit under a UK government agreement with Openreach. The agreement signed earlier this year will make up to £800 million of funding available to modernise broadband infrastructure in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales, ending the plight of buffering.

Across the UK, Project Gigabit is now delivering gigabit connectivity to over 1.1 million hard-to-reach premises – a figure that will continue to rise in the months ahead, meeting the demand for reliable connectivity, stimulating rural economies and reducing regional disparities.

For households, gigabit-capable broadband delivers faster speeds and fewer dropouts, providing a gateway to remote working and online education. Unlike traditional copper-based networks, gigabit connections won’t slow down at peak times, meaning no more battling for bandwidth with neighbours. Gigabit networks can easily handle over a hundred devices all at once with no buffering, meaning the whole family can seamlessly surf, stream and download at the same time.

Across the UK, over 1 million hard-to-reach premises already have access to upgrades thanks to UK government investment. Over 85 per cent of the country can now access gigabit connections, putting the UK in a strong position to meet the government’s target of full gigabit coverage by 2030.

Dozens of Project Gigabit contracts representing more than £2.2 billion investment have now been signed with over 10 different suppliers to deliver the upgrades, including many smaller, independent broadband providers.

Openreach CEO Clive Selley, said:

Our new Full Fibre broadband network now reaches more than half of all properties in the UK, and we’re confident we can reach as many as 30 million premises by the end of the decade, assuming the right regulatory and investment conditions exist. This is a British infrastructure success story which experts say will boost productivity by £73 billion and bring a raft of social and environmental benefits for the country. We believe that everyone deserves access to fast and reliable broadband, and we’re proud that this partnership will help extend our ultrafast, ultra-reliable network to areas that would otherwise be left behind by the private sector.

The press release issued by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology on 17 December 2024.

New records reveal how algorithmic tools are being used in public services to enhance citizen support, enable quick and accurate decision-making, and drive technological improvements in critical government services.

New records show the inner workings of algorithmic tools being used to help public services to support citizens, make quick and accurate decisions, and drive forward the use of technology to improve vital government services and cut backlogs.

The Algorithmic Transparency Recording Standard (ATRS) records published today (17th December), demonstrate how, for example how:

• the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office is using AI to more quickly provide Britons with information when they need help abroad
• the Ministry of Justice is using algorithms to help researchers better understand how people interact with the justice system
• other departments are using AI to improve job adverts

It comes as the Science Secretary’s department continues to shape the new ‘digital centre’ of government to boost technology adoption across the public sector and improve public services, supporting all the government’s 5 missions and boosting public service reform under the Plan for Change.

Last week, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Pat McFadden, set out that the benefits of technology like AI must be felt in the public services as well as in the private sector, and the power of tech should be used to modernise government.

Science Secretary Peter Kyle said:

Technology has huge potential to transform public services for the better, we will put it to use to cut backlogs, save money and improve outcomes for citizens across the country.

Transparency in how and why the public sector is using algorithmic tools is crucial to ensure that they are trusted and effective. That is why we will continue to take bold steps like releasing these records to make sure everyone is clear on how we are applying and trialing technology as we use it to bring public services back from the brink.

Among the records published today, the Department for Business and Trade has revealed that it is using an algorithmic tool to predict which companies export goods to other countries, in turn driving economic growth and supporting the government’s Plan for Change.

Officials in the department are then able to make more targeted decisions about which companies they reach out and offer help to, so high potential exporting businesses can reach more international customers quickly.

Before the tool was put in place, officials had to use more manual methods to sift through data on the over 5 million companies registered on Companies House to target support – slowing down help the government could offer, and missing opportunities to support high-growth businesses.

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

Our Plan for Change will deliver economic growth, and for that to succeed we need to support companies across the UK to realise their full potential when it comes to exporting around the globe.

Our use of AI plays a vital and growing role in that mission, allowing high-growth businesses to maximise the export opportunities available to them, while ensuring that we are using taxpayers’ money responsibly and efficiently in delivering economic stability.

New today, the government is also setting clear terms for the tools algorithmic transparency records will cover, so people know how the government is making use of AI. This confirms that central government organisations will publish a record for any algorithmic tool that interacts directly with citizens or significantly influences decisions made about people, unless a narrow set of exemptions apply such as national security. It also confirms that records will be published for tools once they are being piloted publicly or are live and running.

The records set out how reliable data is used to train AI models, what underlying technology is used in each case, and how any risks are managed effectively. In every case where civil servants use algorithmic tools to make quicker decisions, the records also show how trained staff remain behind the ultimate decision-making process.

Notes to editors

The full list of ATRS records for tools released today is as follows:

• Home Office – Complexity Application Routing Solution – Visits (CARS(V))
• DBT – Find Exporters
• FCDO – Consular Digital Triage – Written Enquiries LLM
• HMT – Correspondence Triage Automation Tool
• HMT – HMT Modelling Policy Engine
• DSIT – Ask Ops Chatbot
• DSIT – Succession Select
• MoD – Textio
• MoJ – Data First (Splink)
• NICE – NORMA (NICE-ONS Recommendation Matching Algorithm)
• Oak National Academy – Aila: Oak’s AI lesson assistant
• Cafcass – Genesys Chatbot
• MaPs – Pension Calculator
• Network Rail – Network Rail’s Digital Assistant