President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a multibillion-dollar technology pact Thursday boosting cooperation in artificial intelligence, quantum computing and civil nuclear energy.
Several major U.S. tech companies will be involved in the deal, including Microsoft, which pledged about $42 billion in U.K. investment. Other American technology companies include NVIDIA, Google, OpenAI and CoreWeave.
Under the partnership, the U.K. and U.S. will pool together joint resources and expertise into emerging technologies that can benefit from both nations. The investment from U.S. companies will help boost British AI infrastructure, from building data centers to computer chips.
The “Tech Prosperity Deal” was struck on the second day of Mr. Trump’s state visit to the U.K., which kicked off Wednesday with a day of ceremony hosted by King Charles and the royal family at Windsor Castle.
The new tech alliance announced Thursday will focus on developing new drugs, improving cancer care and producing life-saving treatments. It will also include investments in nuclear technology, clean energy, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Mr. Trump called the deal “the next logical step” for the two countries, while Mr. Starmer hailed it as “a win for both sides.”
“The deals and announcements you’re announcing today break all records,” Mr. Starmer told the crowd at a reception that included several top business executives.
For Mr. Starmer, the deal is also a potential lifeline for his political future, which has been thrown into doubt by a British economy plagued by massive debt, high cost of living and low productivity.
Economic growth in the country flatlined in July, according to the most recent data published last week by the U.K. Office for National Statistics. In July, production output contracted by 0.9%, following a 0.4% drop in June.
Mr. Starmer is betting the deal will revive Britain’s reputation as a destination for overseas investment and tech innovation. The U.S. is Britain’s largest trading partner and several American tech companies have already invested billions of dollars in the U.K.
As part of the deal, a northeast portion of the U.K. will be designated an AI “growth zone” and receive special support in planning and energy provision for hosting AI infrastructure such as data centers. The British government said it could create more than 5,000 jobs and bring in billions in investment.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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