Panel Insights: Infrastructure, Talent and Global Partnerships – What the UK Needs to Compete in the AI Race

In the fourth panel of Semi Impact Forum 2025, leaders from tech policy, academia, venture capital, and industry gathered to address a critical challenge: how the UK can shift from being an AI consumer to an AI innovator. The session focused on building foundational infrastructure, reforming education, enabling talent mobility, and forming strategic partnerships—especially with Taiwan.

Sue Daley – Director, Technology & Innovation, techUK

AI needs infrastructure, not just ambition

Sue Daley set the stage by highlighting the UK’s current trajectory in AI. Ranked third globally, the UK has committed £1 billion to double its compute capacity—a vital step toward building sovereignty in the AI stack.

She discussed the government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, which includes plans to train 7.5 million people by 2030 and emphasises infrastructure as the cornerstone of growth. Daley stressed that for the UK to lead, it must invest not only in software and talent, but also in the physical infrastructure that enables scalable AI innovation.

Professor Konrad Young – CEO, College of Industry-Academia Innovation, NTUST

Taiwan can help the UK scale its AI zones

Professor Young outlined Taiwan’s leadership in AI data centre and server manufacturing, noting that many of the world’s top ODMs are based there. He proposed that Taiwan could support UK efforts to build out regional AI zones by providing hardware expertise and infrastructure strategy.

He also suggested launching internship exchanges between Taiwanese institutions and UK universities like Imperial College, to ensure long-term knowledge flow and bilateral innovation.

Josh Liu – Co-Founder & Director, Semi Ventures

Partnerships can shortcut infrastructure bottlenecks

Josh Liu reinforced Taiwan’s strengths in scaling infrastructure rapidly—something the UK can leverage rather than replicate. He encouraged the UK to view Taiwan as a partner in regional infrastructure development, not just a hardware vendor.

Drawing from past experience, he pointed out how Taiwan’s successful logistics model in the 1990s—exporting through Amsterdam—could inspire regional compute hubs in the UK, decentralising access to AI infrastructure.

Lawrence Lundy-Bryan – Partner, Lunar Ventures

The UK must back foundational tech—and founders

Lawrence offered a frank assessment: hardware doesn’t attract quick capital, and without patient investment, the UK risks falling behind. He called on both VCs and government to support long-term infrastructure bets that underpin AI growth.

He also raised a warning about the education-to-employment gap. Despite growing numbers of AI and quantum graduates, there are too few roles ready to absorb them. He argued for startups and apprenticeships to close this gap and called for cultural shifts that elevate engineering and blue-collar tech jobs as viable, valuable careers.

Cross-Cutting Priorities & Recommendations

• The UK must invest in AI infrastructure as a strategic national asset—not just through funding, but through global partnerships.

• Taiwan is an ideal partner for server hardware, logistics modelling, and regional data centre support.

• Talent mobility is infrastructure too: internship exchanges, immigration reform, and global recruitment are critical.

• The funding model for AI must evolve: deep tech and hardware innovation need time and capital.

• Education reform must go beyond skills—it must connect directly to career paths or company creation.