UK and US Sign $42 Billion Tech Partnership to Boost AI, Quantum Computing and Nuclear Energy
Britain and the United States have sealed a landmark “Tech Prosperity Deal” worth £31 billion ($42 billion), marking U.S. President Donald Trump’s second state visit to the UK. The agreement focuses on advancing artificial intelligence (AI), quantum computing, and civil nuclear energy, with global tech giants led by Microsoft spearheading massive investments to strengthen transatlantic ties
The deal coincides with a day of state ceremonies at Windsor Castle hosted by King Charles and the royal family. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the partnership has the power to “shape the future of millions” and boost economic growth and security on both sides of the Atlantic. The U.S. remains Britain’s largest single-country trading partner, and American tech firms have already poured billions into UK operations.
Under the agreement, Microsoft will invest £22 billion to expand cloud and AI infrastructure, including the country’s largest AI supercomputer in Loughton, northeast London. Nvidia announced plans to deploy 120,000 GPUs across the UK—its biggest European rollout—while working with UK-based Nscale and OpenAI on the ambitious Stargate project. Google is committing £5 billion to a new data centre in Waltham Cross and continued AI research via DeepMind.
Other U.S. tech firms joining the wave include CoreWeave, Salesforce, Oracle, Amazon Web Services, BlackRock, Scale AI, and AI Pathfinder, with combined investments ranging from hundreds of millions to several billion pounds. CoreWeave alone plans to fund energy-efficient data centres in partnership with Scotland’s DataVita, bringing its UK investment to £2.5 billion. Industry leaders say the deal will cement Britain’s status as a global tech hub.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella emphasised that America remains a “trusted and reliable tech partner” for Britain, while Nvidia’s vice president David Hogan predicted the investments would make the UK “an AI maker, not an AI taker.” The agreement also highlights Starmer’s push for lighter-touch regulation—closer to the U.S. model and diverging from Europe’s stricter rules—to attract further investment and accelerate innovation in Britain’s technology sector.
source: business day