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Unlocking £30 billion of opportunity as the UK’s first AI Growth Zone

Wednesday 20 May 2026 - Wednesday 20 May 2026
11:00 am - 11:45 am
North East England Pavilion 14: Located in the Pink Zone on the Dockside and Dock Water, UKREiiF

The North East of England is entering a transformative era, driven by the launch of a landmark AI Growth Zone set to attract £30 billion in investment and create more than 5,000 high-value jobs.

Positioned at the forefront of the next technological revolution, the AI Growth Zone is cementing the region’s status as one of Europe’s significant data and digital infrastructure hubs—anchored by key sites at Blyth in Northumberland and Cobalt in North Tyneside.

With a strong foundation of talent, skills, innovation capability, and strategic infrastructure, the AI Growth Zone presents a significant opportunity for the North East to accelerate growth across key industrial sectors aligned to the UK’s Industrial Strategy.

Join us for a panel discussion bringing together property developers, investors, the public sector and academia to explore how the AI Growth Zone can catalyse investment in the North East of England.

Sponsored by:

Speakers:

Rob Hamilton, Assistant Director, Economic Strategy and Innovation

North East Combined Authority

Sarah McMillan, Director of Economic Development and Growth

Northumberland County Council

Michael Clifford, Director

EY

Stephanie Taylor, Executive Vice-President, Development (Europe)

QTS Data Centers

Tim Newns, Director

Office for Investment

Nigel Pearson, Regional Partnerships Director

Digital Catapult

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