Trump’s UK Visit Lands Ai, Pharma And Nuclear Pledges

AFP/APP

London: President Donald Trump’s state visit to the United Kingdom has triggered a wave of investment pledges, with US tech giants announcing tens of billions of dollars for Britain’s artificial intelligence sector, alongside deals in nuclear, space, and pharmaceuticals.

The UK and US governments also signed a “Tech Prosperity Deal” to boost cooperation in nuclear power, AI, and space exploration. Meanwhile, British pharmaceutical group GSK pledged major investment in the United States, while private equity giant Blackstone unveiled plans to inject £90 billion ($123 billion) into UK assets over the next decade.

In total, some £150 billion of inward investment commitments were announced by US companies.

Big Tech

Microsoft unveiled its “largest ever commitment to the UK” with a $30-billion investment over four years, half earmarked for cloud computing and AI infrastructure. Plans include construction of Britain’s largest supercomputer.

“We’re committed to creating new opportunity for people and businesses on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, adding the company was “doubling down on investment in the UK.”

Google pledged £5 billion over the next two years to fuel its AI expansion, strengthen cybersecurity, and generate 8,250 jobs annually.

Nvidia and Stargate UK

British firm Nscale announced a partnership with OpenAI and Nvidia to establish a UK version of “Stargate” — a large-scale AI infrastructure initiative.

The UK government said the project would provide sovereign infrastructure to deploy OpenAI technology domestically. Nvidia, for its part, pledged its biggest-ever European rollout, deploying 120,000 advanced GPU chips across Britain.

GSK

Pharmaceutical giant GSK said it would invest $30 billion in the United States over the next five years, expanding R&D and production. Plans include a $1.2 billion biologics factory in Pennsylvania to develop treatments for respiratory disease and cancer.

“This week’s state visit brings together two countries that have led the world in science and healthcare innovation,” said GSK CEO Emma Walmsley.

The pledge comes amid Trump’s push for drugmakers to relocate production to the US.

Blackstone and Finance

Blackstone, the world’s largest private equity firm, confirmed plans for £90 billion in UK investments over the next decade, though details remain under wraps. The group had previously announced a £10 billion AI data centre in northern England.

Separately, US financial giants including Bank of America, BlackRock, Citi, PayPal, and S&P Global pledged around £1.75 billion for their UK operations.

Government Partnerships

The “Tech Prosperity Deal” also commits the US and UK to accelerate nuclear energy projects, described by the British government as a “golden age of nuclear” aimed at boosting clean domestic power and energy security.

The two countries also pledged to advance AI-powered healthcare solutions, quantum computing collaboration, and joint space exploration initiatives. NASA and the UK Space Agency plan to co-develop AI models to support future science and exploration missions.