New package puts AI at the heart of “national renewal”
In advance of incoming Autumn Budget announcements next week, the Department of Science Innovation and Technology has announced a National Renewal Package for AI. This package builds on the AI Opportunities Action Plan from January and the Industrial Strategy from this summer.
These span everything from new details on AI Growth Zones to new investment and new members to Team AI within Government. All aim to position AI as a core driver of economic growth and prosperity.
Please find below our major takeaways from the announcement
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New AI Growth Zone in South Wales
From Newport to Bridgend, this AIGZ is expected to unlock £10bn in investment and 5k jobs over the next decade. It will also receive the same £5mn commitment Government announced it would provide every AIGZ to ensure that they work with local authorities and councils to support AI adoption and skills.
This marks the second AIGZ in Wales, and the fourth announced total with other locations in North Wales, North East England, and Oxfordshire. While this fourth zone has been announced, an investor has not yet been fully secured.
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A Novel Advance Market Commitment
First of its kind for the UK, this is a pot of £100mn of dedicated government backing for AI hardware products made by UK startups. Essentially, this advanced market commitment would make Government the first customer for startups with innovative products who want investment.
Because this advanced market commitment is novel, it is subject to due diligence before it can be taken forward.
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New Chair for Sovereign AI Unit
James Wise will chair DSIT’s Sovereign AI Unit – which has £500mn to:
- Invest in UK companies to support AI national champions. The Sovereign AI Unit will work with Innovate UK and the British Business Bank to support high-potential startups to start and scale their companies in the UK
- Create and develop UK AI assets and enablers such as data, compute and talent.
- Make the UK the partner of choice for Frontier AI companies. This will ensure that the UK public and private sectors benefit from reliable access to, and influence over the development of, cutting edge technology, ensuring everyone across the country benefits from transformative AI.
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New AI Ambassadors Coined
These AI ambassadors – Simon Johnson, Tom Blomfield, and Raia Hadsell – have deep experience in the greater ecosystem and appear to have been chosen for their understanding of the critical challenges, including procurement, facing scale-ups to succeed in the UK.
This is not to be conflated with AI Champions – who are chosen for particular sectors highlighted in the Industrial Strategy.
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Major investment in compute and scientific discovery
Building off previous commitments from the Industrial Strategy and the Compute Roadmap, this package also two pots of investment designed to speed up scientific breakthrough:
- Up to £250mn to ensure British researchers and startups access to free compute
- Up to £127mn for AI-for-Science to speech up the drug discovery and medical treatment research
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Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi
Kir Nuthi is the Head of AI and Data at techUK.
She holds over seven years of Government Affairs and Tech Policy experience in the US and UK. Kir previously headed up the regulatory portfolio at a UK advocacy group for tech startups and held various public affairs in US tech policy. All involved policy research and campaigns on competition, artificial intelligence, access to data, and pro-innovation regulation.
Kir has an MSc in International Public Policy from University College London and a BA in both Political Science (International Relations) and Economics from the University of California San Diego.
Outside of techUK, you are likely to find her attempting studies at art galleries, attempting an elusive headstand at yoga, mending and binding books, or chasing her dog Maya around South London's many parks.
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Usman Ikhlaq
Usman Ikhlaq
Usman joined techUK in January 2024 as Programme Manager for Artificial Intelligence.
He leads techUK’s AI Adoption programme, supporting members of all sizes and sectors in adopting AI at scale. His work involves identifying barriers to adoption, exploring solutions, and helping to unlock AI’s transformative potential, particularly its benefits for people, the economy, society, and the planet. He is also committed to advancing the UK’s AI sector and ensuring the UK remains a global leader in AI by working closely with techUK members, the UK Government, regulators, and devolved and local authorities.
Since joining techUK, Usman has delivered a regular drumbeat of activity to engage members and advance techUK's AI programme. This has included two campaign weeks, the creation of the AI Adoption Hub (now the AI Hub), the AI Leader's Event Series, the Putting AI into Action webinar series and the Industrial AI sprint campaign.
Before joining techUK, Usman worked as a policy, regulatory and government/public affairs professional in the advertising sector. He has also worked in sales, marketing, and FinTech.
Usman holds an MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), a GDL and LLB from BPP Law School, and a BA from Queen Mary University of London.
When he isn’t working, Usman enjoys spending time with his family and friends. He also has a keen interest in running, reading and travelling.
Sue Daley OBE
Sue Daley OBE
Sue leads techUK's Technology and Innovation work.
This includes work programmes on cloud, data protection, data analytics, AI, digital ethics, Digital Identity and Internet of Things as well as emerging and transformative technologies and innovation policy.
In 2025, Sue was honoured with an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the Technology Industry in the New Year Honours List.
She has been recognised as one of the most influential people in UK tech by Computer Weekly's UKtech50 Longlist and in 2021 was inducted into the Computer Weekly Most Influential Women in UK Tech Hall of Fame.
A key influencer in driving forward the data agenda in the UK, Sue was co-chair of the UK government's National Data Strategy Forum until July 2024. As well as being recognised in the UK's Big Data 100 and the Global Top 100 Data Visionaries for 2020 Sue has also been shortlisted for the Milton Keynes Women Leaders Awards and was a judge for the Loebner Prize in AI. In addition to being a regular industry speaker on issues including AI ethics, data protection and cyber security, Sue was recently a judge for the UK Tech 50 and is a regular judge of the annual UK Cloud Awards.
Prior to joining techUK in January 2015 Sue was responsible for Symantec's Government Relations in the UK and Ireland. She has spoken at events including the UK-China Internet Forum in Beijing, UN IGF and European RSA on issues ranging from data usage and privacy, cloud computing and online child safety. Before joining Symantec, Sue was senior policy advisor at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). Sue has an BA degree on History and American Studies from Leeds University and a Masters Degree on International Relations and Diplomacy from the University of Birmingham. Sue is a keen sportswoman and in 2016 achieved a lifelong ambition to swim the English Channel.
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