UK and Japan seal $24 billion technology and energy investment pact

The United Kingdom and Japan have agreed to a bilateral partnership worth more than £18 billion (about $24 billion). The deal, to be signed during the visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Japanese minister Sanae Takaichi ahead of the G7 summit in France, will fund offshore wind projects, artificial‑intelligence research, semiconductor production and quantum‑computing initiatives. Up to £9 billion will be allocated to offshore wind capacity of around 5.9 GW in Scotland and the Celtic Sea, while Japan’s five‑year programme will commit a similar amount to infrastructure and financial services. The partnership is expected to create tens of thousands of jobs and involves major firms such as Rolls‑Royce, Hitachi Energy and Eisai, which will collaborate on nuclear technology, grid expansion and life‑science ventures.