The UK government has unveiled a landmark initiative to strengthen its position in global artificial intelligence development, announcing plans to host the country’s first AI Factory Antenna in partnership with the European Union. The move is part of a broader UK-EU collaboration aimed at advancing scientific research, creating high-skilled jobs, and tackling global challenges through AI.
From today, UK public research institutions can apply to host the new facility, which will serve as a vital link between British AI researchers and the EU’s powerful supercomputing network under the EuroHPC programme.
The initiative follows a fresh UK-EU agreement reached earlier this month to boost trade and cooperation in science and technology. If successful, the Antenna site will act as the UK’s gateway to Europe’s AI compute infrastructure, enabling researchers and start-ups to access the massive processing power needed for breakthroughs in areas such as healthcare, climate science, and advanced manufacturing.
“Supercomputers are the turbo-chargers of discovery,” said Feryal Clark, the UK’s Minister for AI. “This collaboration is not just about faster computing — it’s about putting the UK at the forefront of solving some of the world’s biggest challenges. With access to Europe’s most advanced AI systems, our innovators will be equipped to lead on transformative breakthroughs and boost economic growth at home.”
The AI Factory Antenna will be integrated with a continental AI Factory site and will connect researchers to EuroHPC’s infrastructure, offering access to computing power, data, training, and technical support. Up to €5 million is being made available to support the development of the UK site, which will be led by a public research organisation or a consortium.
The UK’s bid aligns with its AI Opportunities Action Plan and comes on the heels of £44 billion in private investment in data centre infrastructure since mid-2023. It also sets the stage for the upcoming release of the UK’s Compute Strategy, a ten-year roadmap to scale the nation’s computational capacity by twenty times.
The government views the Antenna programme as a foundational step toward deeper integration into international AI ecosystems, symbolising a renewed spirit of UK-EU partnership in the post-Brexit era.
The selected UK host could begin operations within months, marking a pivotal moment in Britain’s AI journey and opening new avenues for global collaboration in high-impact technologies.
