AI Innovation Park (Strathclyde Business Park)

Quick Facts

Project value: £8 - £250 million (single development to full ‘AI Innovation Park’ capacity)

Size: Existing: 5 Buildings c. 22,700m²

Development land: 5.3 hectares

Planning Consent: 45,500m²

Investment type: Commercial real estate and innovation infrastructure

Location: Strathclyde Business Park, North Lanarkshire (ML4 3NJ)

Landowner: HFD Property Group Limited

Timescale: Pipeline

Status: Operational and investment-ready

Project Overview

Located within one of Scotland’s premier business locations — Strathclyde Business Park — this new, ready to deliver ‘AI Innovation Park’ combines immediately available high-quality workspace, direct access to AI/DataCentre infrastructure and significant land for future development with capacity to create a scalable, revenue-generating AI cluster as an integral part of the UK's designated ‘Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone’.

The ‘AI Innovation Park’ forms part of Strathclyde Business Park, a 130 acre business park strategically positioned in North Lanarkshire in the Central Belt of Scotland and already home to over 240 businesses employing in excess of 6,300 people.

The project leverages existing, operational office and innovation space to enable immediate occupation by AI startups, scale-ups, and corporate R&D teams. 5 existing buildings provide flexible, high-quality accommodation ranging from small suites (240 sq.ft) to larger enterprise space (50,000 sq.ft+), allowing businesses to scale within a single location.

This is complemented by direct connectivity to high-performance data centre and AI infrastructure, creating a unique environment where compute, workspace, and collaboration are co-located.

Beyond the existing buildings, the ‘AI Innovation Park’ includes 13 acres of consented development land, masterplanned to provide 490,000 sq ft across 8 new buildings suitable for office, lab, R&D, industrial uses.

The wider Strathclyde Business Park environment further strengthens the proposition, offering:

  • An established occupier base of over 240 companies
  • On-site amenities including hotel, retail, and leisure facilities
  • Excellent connectivity to the M8, M73, and wider Central Belt
  • Unrivalled IT Connectivity including direct access to DV1 and DV3, over 40MW of AI / DataCentre infrastructure plus UCL’s collocated Supercomputer.

The project will contribute significantly to the regional economy by attracting high-value occupiers, supporting innovation-led growth, and creating skilled employment opportunities, while positioning North Lanarkshire as a key node in the UK’s AI infrastructure landscape.

Investment Opportunities

The AI Innovation Park at Strathclyde Business Park offers a rare opportunity to invest in a scalable AI ecosystem within one of Scotland’s premier established business locations, combining immediate income potential with long-term growth driven by the global expansion of AI.

Site ownership / control:

The opportunity is located within Strathclyde Business Park, an established and proven commercial environment under the ownership of HFD Group (parent company to HFD DataVita). Existing buildings, infrastructure and fully serviced development land are already in place, providing a strong foundation for delivery.

Planning status:

The site benefits from an established Planning Consent, with masterplan consent already in place for 490,000 sq ft of additional development across 8 designed buildings. This significantly reduces planning risk and enables accelerated delivery.

Proposed use:

The ‘AI Innovation Park’ will create a fully integrated AI-focused campus, combining:

  • Flexible startup and scale-up accommodation (existing suites from 240–50,000 sq ft+)
  • Corporate innovation and R&D space, including interest from major international occupiers (US Tech company is under offer to accommodate 500 staff at the ‘AI Innovation Park’ within one of the existing buildings).
  • Direct access to high-performance computing infrastructure via existing DataVita connectivity including co-located UCL Supercomputer.
  • Collaboration, testing, and demonstration environments
  • Education & training – complete skills pipeline “from classroom to career”.
  • Expansion capability across 13 acres of consented development land
  • AI Venture Fund - providing seed funding and support for homegrown AI startups, keeping innovation and the wealth it creates in Scotland.

Market demand:

Demand for AI-ready environments is accelerating rapidly, driven by the need for access to compute, talent, and collaborative ecosystems. The AI Innovation Park is well positioned to attract a diverse occupier base including AI startups, scale-ups, global technology firms, and research partnerships, supported by strong regional skills pipelines and connectivity.

Investment returns:

The scheme offers a compelling investment profile through:

  • Immediate revenue from existing occupied and lettable space
  • Strong rental growth potential driven by AI sector demand & AI Growth Zone infrastructure provision
  • Phased development unlocking additional value over time
  • Long-term uplift from cluster effects and ecosystem maturity

Readiness: The project is market-ready, with:

  • Operational buildings and infrastructure in place with immediate availability of office and lab space.
  • Direct connectivity to significant data centre infrastructure
  • Established on-site amenities (hotel, retail, leisure, childcare)
  • Development sites, consented, serviced and ready for delivery.

Business plan/delivery:

A phased delivery model enables early activation and de-risked growth:

  • Phase 1: Immediate occupation of 5 existing buildings
  • Phase 2: Securing anchor occupiers and strategic partners
  • Phase 3: Delivery of new buildings across consented development land

This approach supports rapid market entry while establishing a critical, self-sustaining AI cluster with strong long-term investment fundamentals.

Innovation Park Masterplan Proposals

Status Update

  • The ‘Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone’ was formally designated by the UK Government in 2025 under the national AI Opportunities Action Plan.
  • Scottish Government's AI Strategy (Published March 2025) – includes a key target to “maximise the economic potential of the Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone.”
  • AI Infrastructure delivery - £1.5bn partnership between HFD DataVita and CoreWeave delivering 40MW of GPU compute.
  • Multi-agency dedicated Public Sector support to progress and maximise the benefits associated with the ’Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone’ and ‘AI Innovation Park’.
  • Existing accommodation to support a range of AI focussed businesses across start-ups to corporate enterprises and research facilities.
  • Consented Development Land available now, fully serviced and ready for development.
  • Delivered by HFD Property Group, with over 35 years delivering circa 3m sq.ft of ‘best in class’ accommodation.
  • Future DataCentre development sites (DV4, DV5, DV6) within the ‘Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone’, including an additional future AI Innovation Park to support further AI cluster development.
  • Education & Training initiatives, together with research and development with Glasgow’s and wider UK Universities.
  • Renewable Energy Park to deliver significant sustainable power to the ‘Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone’ and ‘AI Innovation Park’.

Indicative AI Innovation Park Building

For more information

🔗 Lanarkshire AI Growth Zone

Stephen Lewis Managing Director, HFD Property Group email: slewis@hfdgroup.com tel: +44 (0)141 428 3666

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