National skills drive
SAS is ramping up its UK AI ambitions with a £20 million investment in its Glasgow R&D centre, alongside a major push into national skills development through new and expanded partnerships.
The data and AI firm said the move reflects a coordinated strategy to strengthen both innovation capacity and workforce readiness, as demand for AI skills accelerates across the economy.
Central to the announcement is SAS’s role as a founding partner in the UK Government’s expanded AI upskilling programme, which aims to train 10 million workers by 2030. The initiative brings together a heavyweight coalition of industry players including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, IBM and Salesforce, alongside public sector organisations.
Under the scheme, adults across the UK will be able to access free AI training through the government’s AI Skills Hub, with courses aligned to national benchmarks and designed to deliver practical, workplace-ready capabilities.
Apprentices and access
SAS is also targeting early-career talent. Apprentices will gain free access to its software and training platforms, including SAS Skill Builder for Students, enabling hands-on experience with analytics and AI tools used in industry.
Glyn Townsend, Senior Director of Education Services at SAS EMEA, said the scale of technological change demands a more urgent and systemic approach to skills.
“We are at a critical juncture in upskilling the current workforce in AI,” he said. “These skills should be treated like other vital infrastructure.”
Townsend pointed to the dual pressures of longer working lives and rapid technological advancement, arguing that access to AI education must extend across students, apprentices and experienced workers alike.
Glasgow expansion
The Glasgow investment underpins that ambition. One of SAS’s three global R&D hubs, the site has more than doubled in size since 2021 and is expected to reach 250 roles by the end of 2026.
The centre focuses on applied AI, developing solutions in areas such as fraud, risk, compliance and customer intelligence—sectors where demand for advanced analytics continues to grow.
University partnerships
Alongside its commercial work, SAS is deepening its academic footprint. Its technology is now used in 120 UK universities, including all Russell Group institutions, supporting research and innovation across multiple disciplines.
Projects range from healthcare and life sciences to social impact. These include work with the University of Cambridge’s Maxwell Centre and the University of Edinburgh’s Bayes Centre, where AI is being embedded into research, startups and real-world applications.
Wider impact
The company is also investing beyond the UK. A separate £8 million commitment to the Commonwealth AI Consortium will provide 10,000 students and educators with access to training, software and computing resources.
The broader context is a growing recognition of AI’s economic potential. The UK Government estimates that adoption could unlock up to £140 billion in annual output, while reshaping the labour market towards higher-skilled roles.
Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology Liz Kendall said the SAS investment highlights the UK’s continued appeal for AI-driven growth.
“This will help open up access to AI software and create new opportunities for communities across the country, especially in Glasgow,” she said.
For SAS, the message is clear: AI leadership will depend as much on skills as on technology—and the race to build both is accelerating.
