Oracle details UK investment with sovereign cloud and AI plans

Oracle has shared new details on its UK investment programme, first announced in March, which includes AI services and a sovereign cloud platform.

Earlier this year, the company pledged $5 billion to expand Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) in the UK and support government efforts around AI adoption. The latest update highlights progress on a sovereign cloud offering designed for government and defence users, with services like generative AI and the OCI AI Agent Platform.

The sovereign cloud is intended to give the UK, US, and NATO a shared, secure platform and ensure data complies with national and international regulations. Officials say the move will allow sensitive workloads to run at scale without compromising security or control. The announcement was timed with US President Donald Trump’s visit to the UK, during which several American technology firms unveiled new commitments to the country.

“Under President Donald J. Trump’s leadership, allied nations are increasing defence investments to strengthen peace and security,” said Oracle CEO Safra Catz. “Oracle is proud to deliver advanced cloud and AI infrastructure to support the important missions of government and defence organisations in the UK and NATO member states throughout Europe.”

UK technology minister Kanishka Narayan linked the investment to national security priorities. “Protecting its citizens is the most important job of any government,” he said. “The investment by Oracle is helping us make sure we can continue to protect our national security in an increasingly uncertain world.”

NATO workloads moving to Oracle Cloud

The update follows Oracle’s recent agreement with NATO’s Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), which is shifting mission-important workloads from on-premise systems to OCI’s sovereign cloud.

“OCI will help the NCIA manage, analyse, and protect their data while also giving them more control and peace of mind where data is stored and where workloads run,” said Richard Smith, Oracle’s executive vice-president of technology and GM of EMEA.

NATO has said the migration will ensure compliance with requirements for data residency, access to hyperscale services, and tighter operational controls. French defence firm Thales will assist with system integration, while Belgian telecom provider Proximus will supply networking solutions.

NATO operates five main campuses in Europe and North America, along with 30 direct support locations that include logistics hubs, CIS support units, and satellite ground stations. The sites enable network operations, exercises, and IT infrastructure, although the organisation does not disclose the full details of its data centre footprint.

Oracle’s AI partnerships and wider US tech investments

Oracle’s UK push also reflects its deepening relationship with OpenAI. In September, The Wall Street Journal reported that the two companies had signed a five-year deal worth $300 billion, though neither has confirmed it. Earlier in July, OpenAI said it would buy 4.5 GW of data centre capacity from Oracle starting in 2028, at a cost of $30 billion annually.

The timing also fits into a broader wave of US technology investment tied to Trump’s visit. Microsoft announced plans to build a supercomputer as part of a $15 billion AI infrastructure program. CoreWeave committed $2 billion to expand its UK data centres, while Google recently opened its new facility in Hertfordshire.

(Photo by Bernd 📷 Dittrich)

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