Locai Labs has signed a contract with First Light Fusion to supply and deploy a domain-specific large language model for use as an AI coding assistant by First Light Fusion’s science and engineering teams.

The agreement follows a memorandum of understanding signed by the two UK companies earlier this year.

The model was trained on First Light Fusion’s scientific and engineering workflows using Locai Labs’ proprietary Forget-Me-Not framework. It has been installed on First Light Fusion’s secure computing infrastructure in Oxford, keeping proprietary data and intellectual property within the company’s existing systems.

First Light Fusion works on inertial fusion energy and has also developed machine learning simulation tools for its research. The coding assistant is intended to support work across its science and engineering operations, where specialist software and technical workflows are part of day-to-day development.

The contract also provides for ongoing updates. Under the project plan, the system will undergo two full retraining cycles each year to reflect changes in First Light Fusion’s research activity.

Secure environment

A central feature of the deployment is that the model runs inside First Light Fusion’s own environment rather than through an external service. It has been deployed on secure, air-gapped computing infrastructure designed to isolate sensitive information from outside networks.

That arrangement reflects the sensitivity of data involved in fusion research, where simulation work, experimental results and engineering designs can form part of a company’s intellectual property. By keeping the model within its own systems, First Light Fusion aims to use AI tools without moving research data outside its direct control.

Locai Labs describes itself as a UK artificial intelligence company focused on foundational models. Its Forget-Me-Not method is used to adapt models for specific tasks and organisations, in this case to meet the specialist requirements of fusion energy research rather than general software development.

The contract gives Locai Labs a role in one of the UK’s more technically demanding industrial research fields. Fusion companies increasingly rely on simulation, modelling and data analysis to shorten development timelines and improve experimental design, creating a potential market for tailored AI systems that can operate in secure research settings.

First Light Fusion was founded as a spin-out from the University of Oxford and has focused on technologies linked to inertial fusion energy, defence applications and materials science research. Its infrastructure includes what it describes as Europe’s largest pulsed power facility and the UK’s largest two-stage gas gun.

It has also outlined a strategy called FLARE, which it presents as a route towards commercial inertial fusion energy. The latest agreement suggests the company is also investing in software and internal research tools as it develops that broader technical programme.

Industry context

For Locai Labs, the contract provides a reference point for applying domain-specific language models to industrial and scientific work. Rather than offering a general chatbot, it has supplied a model trained on a single customer’s internal workflows and hosted within that customer’s secure estate.

Mark Thomas, Chief Executive Officer of First Light Fusion, said: “We’ve been impressed by the quality and speed of the work delivered by Locai Labs. From initial planning to the final deployment on our air-gapped system, their team demonstrated a deep understanding of our needs and a commitment to excellence which aligns with our own mission. This AI coding assistant is already proving to be a valuable asset.”

James Drayson, Chief Executive Officer of Locai Labs, said: “This collaboration is a powerful example of how UK-developed foundational AI can be applied to accelerate UK scientific research and industrialisation. It’s a privilege to support such an innovative and mission-driven company.”

G.M. Jones & Son Ltd, which was founded in 1989, is an independent distributor that primarily serves the fast-food industry in the West Midlands, Staffordshire, and Shropshire.

The company is “one of a handful” that sells Pukka Pies products, in fresh, frozen, and unbaked forms.

G.M. Jones & Son Ltd offers “competitive pricing with an outstanding service”, according to its website.

G.M. Jones & Son Ltd to close after entering liquidation

After 27 years in business, G.M. Jones & Son Ltd is set to close after voluntarily entering liquidation.

The decision to enter liquidation comes despite the Staffordshire-based company reporting year-on-year sales growth on its website.

Timothy Frank Corfield of Griffin & King was appointed liquidator on Monday (April 20), according to The Gazette.

“No impact” on Pukka Pies products

Following news of G.M. Jones & Son Ltd falling into liquidation, Pukka Pies has assured customers there will be “no impact” on its products.

A Pukka Pies spokesperson, via The Sun, said: “G.M. Jones [and Sons] are one of many suppliers of Pukka Pies.

“We want to reassure customers that there is no impact on the availability of Pukka products.”

“As one of our valued wholesale partners for many years, it’s sad to see them – particularly a fellow family-run company – face challenges in today’s competitive market.

“We’ve worked closely with customers to help them transition smoothly to alternative suppliers so people across the UK can continue to enjoy Pukka products as usual.”

Pukka Pies has reassured customers that “there is no impact on the availability of Pukka products”. (Image: Pukka Pies)

Other major UK companies that have closed or entered administration in 2026

It has been a rough start to 2026 for the UK high street, with a wide range of businesses entering administration or closing down.

Major high street retailers have been forced to close stores, including:

Several other retailers have fallen into administration, including:

Major fashion retailer LK Bennett also entered administration back in January and is now set to close all its remaining stores over the coming days.

Meanwhile, four UK travel companies have closed in 2026:

EcoJet Airlines, billed as “the world’s first Electric Airline”, also entered liquidation after just three years, resulting in the cancellation of all planned flights.

What has a nose, wings and runs off of hydrogen? Ecojet 😎 pic.twitter.com/y8QGiBdFe2

— ecotricity (@ecotricity) July 17, 2023

UK delivery company Yodel is set to be phased out over the coming months after being acquired by InPost.

It’s also been reported that Morrisons is looking to sell some of its in-store pharmacies as it continues to cut costs.

It’s not been all bad news for the UK high street, with several major brands announcing new store openings for 2026, including Aldi, M&S, and Superdrug.

Are you a fan of Pukka Pies products? Let us know in the poll above or in the comments below.

BlackBox Hosting has partnered with Everpure to offer sovereign cloud services in the UK, as organisations seek alternatives to foreign cloud providers.

As part of an overhaul of its legacy infrastructure, the managed private cloud provider has migrated thousands of customer services to Everpure’s platform. BlackBox Hosting supports more than one million end users and has spent more than a decade working with large software companies in the UK.

The announcement reflects a wider shift among British businesses seeking greater control over where data is stored and how it is managed. Concerns over data sovereignty have grown alongside regulatory scrutiny, cyber security risks and unease about reliance on overseas hyperscale cloud groups.

According to BlackBox Hosting, the new arrangement has strengthened its disaster recovery setup and improved resilience for business-critical workloads. It also reported a 12% performance improvement after the migration, along with lower storage latency and the removal of storage bottlenecks.

Customers experienced no downtime during the migration, the company said. It added that the changes were introduced without disrupting existing services, a key concern for businesses moving core systems.

Sovereign focus

Sovereign cloud services have become a more prominent issue for UK technology suppliers and their customers as organisations reassess where sensitive information should reside. For many businesses, the question is no longer just cost or scale, but also legal oversight, operational control and exposure to geopolitical tension.

For managed service providers such as BlackBox Hosting, that shift creates an opening to serve customers that want infrastructure hosted and managed with a stronger domestic focus. BlackBox saw an opportunity to update its platform in response to those concerns and offer services aimed at organisations seeking tighter control of critical data.

Everpure’s role centres on supplying the storage and data management platform that underpins the new offering. The companies did not disclose financial terms, but said the transition involved replacing older disk-based infrastructure with a newer flash-based system.

Operational changes

The overhaul has had a marked effect on BlackBox Hosting’s physical infrastructure. The company reported an 87% reduction in footprint and an 85% cut in carbon dioxide emissions after replacing its previous systems.

That sustainability claim may appeal to customers under pressure to reduce the environmental impact of their IT estates. Data centres and storage systems face growing scrutiny as companies balance demand for more computing power with emissions targets and energy costs.

BlackBox framed the changes as part of a broader effort to meet customer demand for secure, resilient and locally focused services. Its emphasis on disaster recovery also underlines the continued importance of continuity planning as ransomware attacks, outages and supply chain disruptions remain a live concern for businesses.

Executive view

The partnership comes as service providers try to distinguish themselves from the largest cloud groups by focusing on control, compliance and support. BlackBox Hosting’s customer base, which includes large software companies, gives it a platform to pitch these services to organisations handling substantial volumes of sensitive or regulated data.

One executive linked the launch directly to mounting concerns around data handling and risk. “The risks of inaction on data sovereignty are clear. Service disruption, data breaches, regulatory penalties, and financial or reputational damage are all top of mind. We’re excited to support BlackBox Hosting with its sovereign cloud offerings at a time when UK businesses are actively looking for solutions that can mitigate risk in an increasingly uncertain business and geopolitical landscape,” said Paddy Fitzpatrick, VP & General Manager UK&I, Everpure.

BlackBox Hosting expects sovereign cloud services to remain an important area of growth in the UK. “Our tailored infrastructure and platform-as-a-service solutions put us in a prime position to capitalise on the surge in demand for the sovereign cloud solutions we’re seeing across the UK right now. We’re delighted by the speed, ease of management, and quality of the support of the Everpure platform. We have complete confidence that as we grow, our Everpure footprint will continue to grow with us,” said Matthew Burden, Founder and Managing Director, BlackBox Hosting.