Nebius Invests £1.7 Billion in UK’s AI Infrastructure Expansion

Nebius is making a £1.7 billion investment in the UK to expand its AI infrastructure. This initiative aims to enhance local capacity for AI development, allowing businesses and researchers to access essential tools for innovation.

The company plans to open three new sites across the UK, equipped with cutting-edge NVIDIA technology, including the Blackwell Ultra infrastructure. Once fully operational by 2027, these sites are projected to deliver a total capacity of 65 MW, significantly boosting computational power for AI projects.

This expansion aligns with the UK Government's AI Opportunities Action Plan, which aims to position the country as a leader in AI development. UK AI Minister Kanishka Narayan emphasized the significance of this investment, stating, "We’re determined to make the UK the best place in the world to build and deploy AI – backing the infrastructure businesses, researchers and public services need to put this technology to work." He noted that Nebius's initiative would greatly enhance AI computing resources, allowing local companies to train and test advanced systems domestically.

Arkady Volozh, founder and CEO of Nebius, highlighted the UK's unique environment for AI development, where building, deploying, and adopting technology occurs simultaneously. He said, "The UK is one of the places where AI is being built, deployed, and adopted at the same time — by startups, by enterprises, and by the public sector. The work is happening here and the demand is here. And we are also here for the long run."

NVIDIA plays a crucial role in this development. Paolo Guglielmini, Vice President EMEA at NVIDIA, noted that the UK ranks among Europe’s most ambitious AI markets. He remarked, "Nebius is expanding local access to NVIDIA’s full-stack AI factory platform, giving British companies the best performance, economics, and ecosystem support to train and deploy frontier and open-source AI close to their data, customers and teams."

This expansion directly addresses the rising demand for local infrastructure that can support advanced AI applications. The need for reliable computational power is particularly critical for projects utilizing multi-billion parameter biological foundation models, which require substantial resources for experimentation. Nebius's investment is expected to accelerate the development of treatments for diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, speeding up the research process.

As the UK advances its AI capabilities, investments like Nebius's will be vital for local enterprises to compete globally. The integration of advanced technology and infrastructure promises to create a more productive and innovative environment, potentially transforming AI applications across various sectors. Nebius's commitment serves as a catalyst for ongoing growth and development in this essential field.