AMD announced on June 8 at London Tech Week its plan to invest up to £2 billion (about $2.67 billion) in the UK over five years to accelerate AI innovation, research, and computational infrastructure development [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]. The company will collaborate strategically with Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge, focusing on high-performance computing infrastructure and AI research in computer science, healthcare innovation, and climate research [1, 2, 4, 5].
AMD CEO Dr. Lisa Su said despite breakthroughs in recent years, AI remains at a very early stage. She praised the UK’s talent and research capabilities, saying "the UK has outstanding talent and research capacity to lead the next AI era" [3, 6]. She added the industry overall remains in a "very, very early stage" [6].
The announcement came alongside UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s public declaration of a £400 million investment to purchase dedicated AI chips under a new AI Hardware Plan worth about £1.1 billion, aimed at supporting British chip and semiconductor companies and enhancing sovereign computing capabilities [7, 2, 4, 5]. Starmer said, "我们将利用公共采购的力量来支持英国的创新精神" (We will use the power of public procurement to support British innovation) [7].
London Mayor Sadiq Khan also announced a £12 million fund to help SMEs in London adopt AI in business operations [2, 4, 5]. The UK tech sector is valued at about £1.2 trillion in 2026, making it the world’s third largest technology economy, with AI startups raising over £8.2 billion in venture funding in the first half of the year alone [2, 4, 5].
AMD has operated in the UK for over 50 years and has expanded its talent and engineering teams recently [6]. Labour Party’s Rachel Reeves said the new AMD investment highlights international confidence in the UK as a global AI powerhouse [2].
London Tech Week 2026 runs June 8-10 for main events, with additional activities through June 12, featuring over 600 speakers and 30,000 registrants from 130 countries [2, 4, 5]. On June 10, Prince William will attend for the first time to convene leaders on using data and technology to tackle homelessness [2, 4, 5].
