Irish company Version 1 has pledged to invest £40m into AI hubs in six UK cities.
The leader in AI and digital transformation says the investment into its locations in London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast should create around 1,000 AI-related jobs.
The news was welcomed by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Taoiseach Michael Martin at a roundtable event with other industry leaders that formed part of the annual UK-Ireland summit.
Version 1 serves public sector organisations in the UK and Ireland on successful, large-scale transformation and AI projects.
“We have a global presence but it’s our mission to deliver value for our customers from the best locations most suited to their needs, and this means investing locally and globally in the right skills and talent,” said its CTO Brad Mallard (pictured).
“As leaders in people-centric innovation powered by technology, we want the maximum benefit for our customers and the environments we work in.
“With UK government initiatives such as the AI Opportunities Action Plan and the new AI playbook, which are designed to boost economic value and drive productivity and efficiency across government, we can align on shared objectives that ultimately deliver these benefits but keep the knowledge and skill sets in the right place for sustainable growth.”
Paul Johnston, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ireland, commented: “It is a pleasure to see Version 1 among great business leaders at the UK-Ireland summit today.
“Their continued investment in our economy is a welcome and important commitment which makes a significant contribution to the government’s growth mission.”