Scotland’s west coast lands £15B AI industrial park in Irvine

AI Pathfinder has selected Irvine, Scotland as the location for a major artificial intelligence industrial park, with plans for up to £15 billion in investment that could transform the region into one of Europe’s largest AI infrastructure hubs. The project, backed by London-based property development company Salamanca, represents a significant bet on Scotland’s potential as an AI innovation center and promises substantial job creation for the area.

What you should know: The i3 industrial park will begin with an initial £385 million investment starting next year, building infrastructure for other companies to use similar to cloud computing services.

• AI Pathfinder, a subsidiary of Salamanca led by entrepreneur Martin Bellamy, plans to create what they describe as AI infrastructure that other companies can utilize.
• The company has a parallel £1 billion AI investment plan in Northamptonshire that was announced alongside President Donald Trump’s recent state visit to the UK.
• While AI Pathfinder has limited experience in AI development, it intends to focus on building the underlying infrastructure rather than developing AI applications directly.

Why this matters: North Ayrshire Council views the investment as “transformational” for local employment and economic development, positioning the region at the forefront of AI innovation.

• The project could establish Scotland as a leading destination for AI infrastructure investment, competing with other European tech hubs.
• The scale of investment represents one of the largest AI-focused developments announced in Scotland to date.

What they’re saying: Local officials are enthusiastic about the economic potential and skills development opportunities.

• “This is a hugely significant announcement and we recognise the enormous potential this offers our area, placing it at the vanguard of the AI revolution,” said Councillor Tony Gurney, North Ayrshire Council’s cabinet member for the economy.
• “We stand ready to become Scotland’s leading innovation and industrial investment region, delivering high-value AI at pace.”
• “The scale of this investment will be transformational for our young people and residents.”

Job creation potential: The development promises to create employment across multiple sectors and skill levels.

• Construction jobs will be generated during the building phase of the industrial park.
• Long-term operational roles will span engineering, digital infrastructure, and data center operations.
• The project aims to establish “a local skills pipeline across construction, engineering, digital infrastructure, and data centre operations.”
• Supply chain benefits are expected to “ripple across Ayrshire businesses and beyond.”