A coalition including British-based artificial intelligent Nscale, regional universities and skills providers is behind the joint venture.
Thousands of jobs, apprenticeships and training opportunities will be created by the development, with construction work expected to begin within a matter of weeks.
Durham, Newcastle, Sunderland, and Northumbria universities are all involved. It is thought the AI Growth Zone, which is split between Cambois-near-Blyth and the existing Cobalt Park, will bring in around £30billion worth of investment. This will lead to long term careers in high specialised and future-proof industries.
£10billion has already been secured from Blackstone, with further expansion on the cards. Planning challenges will be overcome through a dedicated task force made up of various stakeholders within the sector, including specialised automation tech firms, researchers, and politicians. The location is close to the UK’s largest low-carbon energy cluster.
‘Today’s visit is a vote of confidence in the North East – our new AI Growth Zone puts the region’s innovation on the map and, with early careers in focus, will inspire and upskill the next generation of AI talent,’ said Sage Chief of Staff Ben Aung.
‘To turn that potential into tangible results, businesses and our colleges and universities must work more closely than ever – aligning curricula with real roles, sharing expertise and opening pathways into industry,’ he continued. ‘From our global Cobalt Park HQ, Sage is turning that momentum into practical, trusted AI for small businesses – freeing people from time-sapping admin so the whole region can be more productive and prosper.’
Among other things, the development will support the launch of Stargate UK, a sovereign British platform delivered by Nscale, OpenAI and NVIDIA, which is already reliant on key sites across the North East, including Cobalt Park.
Image: Igor Omilaev / Unsplash
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