Connect | London // Debate: The UK AI Growth Zone gamble - A strategic catalyst or politically convenient fiction?
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- Data Center Construction
- Investment & Markets
- Open Session
Speakers
Jamie Allen
Head of Site Selection, EMEA, Iron Mountain
James Snook
Partner, Flint Global
Director - Public Affairs, Ark Data Centres
Aurelie Canales
Business Connectivity Portfolio Architecture Director, BT Group
Global Portfolio Manager, DatacenterDynamics
The UK’s AI Growth Zones aim to drive investment beyond the South East and accelerate regional development. But many designated areas face hard constraints: limited grid capacity, weak long‑haul connectivity, shallow labour pools, slow planning cycles, and uncertain commercial demand for compute. Without these fundamentals, Growth Zones risk becoming policy branding rather than viable engines of AI‑era infrastructure.
This session will explore:
- Whether Growth Zones have the power, fiber, and labor fundamentals to support AI‑scale delivery
- If investors will back emerging regions or continue favoring metros with predictable grid access and timelines
- Whether public‑sector planning and private‑sector capital can align to make these zones viable
- If Growth Zones can meaningfully support a regional economic rebalancing