Nscale highlighted that the core of the planned investment is its AI Campus in Loughton, which will host the U.K.’s largest AI supercomputer
In sum – what to know:
Largest UK AI supercomputer planned – Nscale’s Loughton campus will house 23,040 Nvidia GPUs from 2027, scaling to 90 MW to support Microsoft Azure and UK enterprise AI needs.
Stargate UK launches with OpenAI – Platform to host sovereign AI workloads, beginning with 8,000 GPUs in 2026, potentially scaling to 31,000 across sites including Cobalt Park in the new AI Growth Zone.
National commitment totals 58,640 GPUs – Nscale’s UK investment forms part of its broader global plan for 300,000 GPUs, with additional deployments in partnership with Nvidia DGX Cloud.
U.K. firm Nscale announced plans to significantly expand AI infrastructure in the U.K., working with Microsoft, Nvidia, and OpenAI.
In a release, the U.K. firm noted that the commitment includes up to 58,640 Nvidia GPUs across multiple sites, forming part of Nscale’s global plan to deploy 300,000 GPUs.
At the center of the investment is Nscale’s AI Campus in Loughton, which will host the U.K.’s largest AI supercomputer, according to Nscale. The site will deliver 50 MW of capacity, scalable to 90 MW, and will initially house 23,040 Nvidia GB300 GPUs from the first quarter of 2027. As part of the initiative, Microsoft will use the AI facility to support Azure services in the U.K.
Separately, Nscale, OpenAI, and Nvidia are creating Stargate UK, a new platform to support OpenAI’s workloads in the country, with an initial offtake of 8,000 GPUs in the first quarter of 2026, and potential scale to 31,000 GPUs. Sites will include a presence in Cobalt Park, North East England, part of the new AI Growth Zone.
Nscale will also partner with Nvidia on DGX Cloud deployments, including 4,600 GPUs to support the DGX Lepton Marketplace, providing compute access for U.K. AI developers.
Josh Payne, Nscale’s CEO, said: “This historic commitment from Nscale shows how the U.K. can build the future of AI, together with our partners from the U.S. It’s only by building world-class AI infrastructure that we will stay competitive in the global race.”
Earlier this week, the U.K. government designated North East England as an AI Growth Zone, a move expected to create more than 5,000 jobs and attract up to £30 billion ($40.6 billion) in private investment.
AI Growth Zones are dedicated geographic areas designed to accelerate AI-related infrastructure deployment.
The initiative aims to establish one of Europe’s largest data center hubs, with key sites in Blyth and Cobalt Park near Newcastle. The main goal of this AI Growth Zone is to strengthen the country’s AI capacity, drive innovation in public services, and open new career paths in healthcare, clean energy, manufacturing, and finance.
