UK and Japan announce £18 bn investment package to boost infrastructure and technology

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hosted Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at Downing Street and announced a bilateral investment programme worth more than £18 billion (about $24 billion). The package includes two £9 billion streams – one for UK infrastructure and financial‑service projects and another for offshore wind development – and is projected to create tens of thousands of jobs.

A parallel technology partnership will cover artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum computing and other frontier sectors. The two governments also reaffirmed cooperation on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP) fighter‑jet project and a new Rolls‑Royce‑Japan Atomic Energy Agency agreement to develop next‑generation nuclear technology.

The deal was presented as the start of a “new era of co‑operation” between the United Kingdom and Japan and comes just before the G7 summit in France. Officials said it is unclear how much of the announced funding is brand‑new versus previously pledged projects, but the agreements are intended to strengthen supply‑chains and attract long‑term foreign capital to the UK economy.