By boosting how AI is developed and used locally, the AI Growth Zone will help to:
- Create thousands of jobs across construction, data engineering, AI research and development, and AI safety.
- Help businesses and public services adopt AI confidently, boosting productivity in manufacturing, healthcare, energy and finance.
- Accelerate research and innovation, including new breakthroughs in drug discovery, climate science and safer technology.
- Connect local university talent and emerging AI experts with new opportunities across the region’s tech ecosystem.
- Create clearer training, skills and apprenticeship routes so more local people can access careers in this fast-growing sector.
North East AI Growth Zone Prospectus
We’ve published a draft North East AI Growth Zone Prospectus, setting out how we will translate investment in AI into practical benefits for people, businesses and communities across the region.
It sets out our vision for the North East to be a globally recognised hub for applied AI – bringing together skills, innovation, infrastructure and investment to drive growth and opportunity. At its heart is a simple aim: make sure the benefits of AI are felt by everyone – through good jobs, local skills, stronger businesses and public services that work better for residents.
What the prospectus sets out
The AI Growth Zone Prospectus brings together four key elements to make AI work in practice across the North East:
AI skills
Expanding access to training so more people can use, build and work with AI
AI adoption
Helping businesses and public services use AI safely, confidently and effectively
AI innovation
Supporting research, start-ups and the development of new products and services
Infrastructure and investment
Building the data, energy and connectivity needed to support sustainable growth
Together, these elements will help create jobs, boost productivity and support the North East to play a leading role in the UK’s AI future.
A major opportunity for the region
The North East was designated an AI Growth Zone in 2025, creating the opportunity for thousands of new jobs and significant new investment. Momentum is already building, with private sector interest, growing partnerships with industry and Government, and new opportunities for people to gain the skills they need to succeed in an AI-enabled economy.
Have your say
The prospectus is currently out for consultation, and we want to hear from partners, businesses, residents, community organisations and the wider public across the North East.
Your feedback will help shape how we deliver the AI Growth Zone. We’re especially interested in what opportunities you see, what risks or barriers we should plan for, and what skills and infrastructure will be needed to make this work well for the region.
Email your comments to: HaveYourSay@northeast-ca.gov.uk
Working together to deliver
We are working closely with Government departments, industry and regional partners to turn the prospectus into a clear, deliverable plan – moving from ambition to action and ensuring the benefits of AI investment are realised in communities across the North East. Read the latest press release for more detail.
