Connected Regions. Competitive Britain
EMBARGOED till Monday 28th September
UKAI's latest report, Connected Regions, Competitive Britain, tracks how far the UK has come since its landmark call to treat AI infrastructure as a connected national system rather than a series of isolated planning applications. The new National Planning Policy Framework now explicitly recognises AI Growth Zones and data centres, nationally important projects can enter the fast-track NSIP regime, and Ofgem is overhauling the electricity connections queue to clear out speculative applications. Government has clearly listened. But listening and delivering are two different things.
The report's real insight lies in what it argues is still missing: a single body with end-to-end responsibility for turning ambition into working infrastructure. Planning consent doesn't secure a grid connection. A faster decision doesn't provide water, fibre or a skilled workforce. With a candid assessment of progress against UKAI's original recommendations (scored out of five), the report highlights where the system is still fragmented between departments, regulators and network operators.
Perhaps the most interesting thread is how the Burnham Government's devolution agenda could resolve this, if done properly. The report sets out a detailed model in which mayors and combined authorities take on real delivery power: preparing regional AI infrastructure plans, assembling sites, and unlocking local finance, rather than simply inheriting Whitehall's problems without the tools to fix them. A standout case study explores how one energy innovator is using local flexibility and virtual power plants to accelerate data centre grid connections, offering a genuinely novel blueprint for how devolved delivery might work on the ground.
With eighteen recommendations and a packed fixture list of moments where policy could shift decisively over the coming months, this report reads as both a scorecard and a roadmap. For anyone tracking where AI, energy and regional growth intersect, and where the next real battles for delivery will be fought, it makes for essential reading. Full access to the report, its detailed case studies and analysis is available to UKAI members.