The £100m scheme will deliver “game-changing AI inference capabilities and absolute data sovereignty.”

Latos is planning to build a further 40 data centres across the UK by 2030.

The first development at Preston Farm Industrial Estate in Stockton will comprise two data halls with a total area of 1,750 sq m and will open in early 2027.

Andy Collin, Managing Director, Latos Data Centres said: “From robotics to autonomous transportation, real-time AI is set to transform how we live and work. But businesses need totally new data centre infrastructure to capitalise on these opportunities.

“We pioneered neural edge designs to meet this need.  They support the most demanding workloads, are highly energy efficient and can be built faster and at lower cost than conventional data centres.”

Unlike conventional “cloud computing” data centres, neural edge facilities eliminate data latency by bringing powerful AI computing closer to end users. This makes possible entirely new AI use cases including augmented reality, smart manufacturing and predictive healthcare.

Future sites are planned for major urban centres including Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, and Glasgow.

Collin added: “Our nationwide neural edge network is a fundamental shift from centralised ‘cloud computing’ models. It will help ensure British companies can thrive using AI, rather than being constrained by yesterday’s technology.”