Lanarkshire has been named as the location for Scotland’s AI Growth Zone, designed to accelerate the development of AI-enabled data centres by streamlining planning processes.
AI Growth zones aim to attract billions in investment and create thousands of jobs, and reduce operational costs for developers to boost national computing capacity and infrastructure.
Business Minister Richard Lochhead said: “This announcement is a welcome endorsement of Scotland’s existing strengths and future potential in this transformative sector.
“The Lanarkshire Growth Zone will unlock new opportunities for businesses, researchers and communities, support high-quality jobs, boost productivity and help Scotland play a leading role in the responsible development and deployment of AI.
“Scotland’s abundant renewable energy, strong digital infrastructure and sustained public investment make it an ideal location for large scale, green computing projects.
“Coupled with globally recognised excellence in research, innovation and technological ingenuity, this has already helped attract a £1.5 billion investment in Scotland’s AI infrastructure by DataVita and CoreWeave.”
He said the Scottish Government and enterprise agencies worked closely with prospective Scottish sites throughout the Growth Zone bidding process.
“We look forward to supporting the UK Government, DataVita and partners in making the Lanarkshire Growth Zone a success and ensuring it delivers a lasting benefit for Scotland’s economy and society,” he said.
The coming weeks will see the launch of AI Scotland?, a national transformation programme built on collaboration between business, academia, government and agencies.
Other AI Growth Zones announced
- South Wales (20 November 2025)
- North Wales (13 November 2025)
- North East England (16 September 2025)
- Oxfordshire (30 April 2025)
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