Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud services unit of Amazon, has unveiled a plan to invest £8bn ($10.48bn) in the UK over the next five years (2024-2028) to develop data centres.
This initiative is expected to enhance the UK’s digital infrastructure, contributing an estimated £14bn to the nation’s GDP and support more than 14,000 full-time equivalent jobs annually.
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AWS’ investment will focus on building, operating, and maintaining the data centres.
The job created will span across various sectors, including construction, facility maintenance, engineering, and telecommunications, all key to the AWS data centre supply chain and the broader local economy.
Since establishing an AWS Region in the UK in December 2016, AWS has expanded its presence to include three Availability Zones, two WaveLength Zones, two Edge Locations, and a Regional Edge Cache.
From the beginning of the decade (2020-2023), AWS has already invested more than £3bn in the UK, supporting an average of more than 6,000 full-time equivalent jobs at local businesses.
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By GlobalDataCombined with the latest announcement, AWS’s total planned investment in the UK from 2020-2028 will exceed £11bn.
AWS vice president and managing director of Europe, Middle East & Africa Tanuja Randery said: “The next few years could be among the most pivotal for the UK’s digital and economic future, as organisations of all sizes across the country increasingly embrace technologies like cloud computing and AI to help them accelerate innovation, increase productivity, and compete on the global stage.
“We’re proud to announce our plans to invest £8bn in digital and AI infrastructure over the next five years to help meet the growing needs of our customers and partners, and support the transformation of the UK’s digital economy.”
The move by AWS comes at a time when the demand for data centres is surging globally, driven by the increasing need for artificial intelligence and computing power.
Tech giants from Silicon Valley are competing to establish their data centres to support the development of new technologies.
Microsoft has pledged £2.5bn towards AI infrastructure in the UK, including an expansion of its data centre capacity.
Similarly, Google is investing $1bn into a 33-acre data centre in Hertfordshire to advance its AI model development.
