Irish technology consultancy Version 1 has pledged to invest £40m into the UK’s AI economy following a discussion with leaders of both countries. 

The investment will be made through an increased presence across the UK’s “technology hubs”, in a move that it claims will add 1,000 jobs to the economy. 

The majority of these new UK roles will be “AI-related”, providing digital transformation support for public sector organisations from locations in London, Birmingham, Newcastle, Manchester, Edinburgh and Belfast. This support will include upskilling and AI training. 

Version 1’s announcement came from a roundtable discussion that included British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin. 

“It is very rewarding to hear how both leaders are working hard to strengthen connections and deliver on shared ambitions for greater opportunity, societal advancement and economic prosperity,” said Brad Mallard, CTO at Version 1. 

“With UK Government initiatives such as the AI Opportunities Action Plan…we can align on shared objectives that ultimately deliver these benefits but keep the knowledge and skill sets in the right place too for sustainable growth.” 

Paul Johnston, the UK’s ambassador to Ireland, added: “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.” 

The Irish AI sector has been projected to reach $1.43bn in value by the end of the year. In addition to domestic firms like Version 1 and Protex AI, a number of global tech firms, such as Microsoft and IBM, employ thousands of AI workers in the country.

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