Durham University will take a key role in delivering a new AI Growth Zone in North East England – an initiative that promises to create thousands of jobs.
The newly announced AI Growth Zone is set to unlock more than 5,000 new jobs and bring in £30 billion in investment, as North East England becomes a hub for AI (Artificial Intelligence) development.
On Wednesday 24 September, we joined a first meeting of a task force to deliver the transformational initiative.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall attended, also meeting businesses and workers, including apprentices.
The North East is once again leading the charge – this time in the AI revolution. We’re backing local talent with the skills and training they need to thrive in the jobs of tomorrow. From laying the physical foundations and building data centres to launching careers in AI, this Growth Zone is about creating real opportunities for people right across the region.
We know AI can be transformational for people and the local economy. This investment will mean thousands of jobs for local people and the North East leading innovations in tech. Now we need to work with businesses to develop the talent right here, and make sure the benefits of AI reach the people of the region.
Our AI-focused programmes are giving graduates the skills needed to thrive in the AI Growth Zone. These include our MSc in Scientific Computing and Data Analysis (MISCADA), a new MSc in Advanced Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), and the TechUP, which helps people from under-represented groups develop careers in the technology sector.
Our research is producing spin-out companies that are applying AI in key sectors including health, space, and defence.
Our Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life is helping us to understand how humans interact with AI-driven technologies; we are a partner in the £12 million National Edge AI Hub; and we are developing ‘hybrid intelligence’ techniques that integrate human knowledge to protect systems from cyber threats.
Durham University is committed to using its expertise in cutting-edge AI research, supercomputing capabilities, and graduate skills to support the North-East AI Growth Zone, for the benefit of the region and the wider UK economy.
- Read the full announcement on the AI Growth Zone task force.- Our Department of Computer Science is among the top 10 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025. Visit our Computer Science web pages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.- Our Department of Mathematical Sciences is ranked in the top 10 in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2025. Visit our Mathematical Sciences web pages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, right, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, second right, and others at a discussion of the North East AI Growth Zone.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, left, meets workers during a visit to North East England.
Technology Secretary Liz Kendall, second right, North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, centre, and others at a meeting to discuss the North East AI Growth Zone.
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