Advanced Micro Devices Inc (NASDAQ:AMD, XETRA:AMD) has pledged to invest up to $2.7 billion (£2 billion) in the UK over the next five years, betting on the country's ambitions to become a global centre for artificial intelligence research and advanced computing.
The US semiconductor titan, one of the top 15 largest companies in the S&P 500, used London Tech Week to unveil a package of investments, partnerships and infrastructure projects spanning universities, scientific research and AI supercomputing.
A key element of the investment is support for two major supercomputing projects at the University of Cambridge.
Zenith is a new national AI-for-science supercomputer, co-funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology and UK Research and Innovation, designed to support research in areas including healthcare, climate modelling, engineering and materials science.
Sunrise is a dedicated AI supercomputer for fusion energy research, funded by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, owned by the UK Atomic Energy Authority and operated by the University of Cambridge to accelerate the development of commercial nuclear fusion power.
AMD said it would also work with Imperial College London on research projects including healthcare innovation and climate modelling, while also partnering with Oriole Networks on efforts to develop new AI networking technologies.
Dr Lisa Su, AMD's chair and chief executive, said the UK had "the talent, research excellence and ambition to help lead the next era of AI".
The investment comes as governments around the world compete to secure access to the computing power needed to develop increasingly sophisticated AI systems.
Ministers have made expanding Britain's AI infrastructure a central part of their industrial strategy, arguing that access to computing capacity will be as important to future economic growth as transport and energy networks.
AMD's announcement was welcomed by ministers keen to demonstrate that Britain can attract investment from global technology companies despite growing international competition.
Rachel Reeves described the commitment as "a major vote of confidence in Britain's place as a global AI superpower".
The investment also reflects a broader shift in the AI industry, where attention is increasingly focused not only on software and models but on the vast computing infrastructure needed to train and run them.
Access to advanced chips, data centres and high-performance computing systems has become a strategic priority for governments seeking to remain competitive in the technology race.
