The uptake of artificial intelligence (AI) by businesses across the region is to be accelerated by a new collaboration between the Greater Manchester AI Foundry and a leading digital and innovation hub.
The Greater Manchester AI Foundry was launched in September this year and combines business innovation expertise and leading AI research from four North West Universities.
Manchester Metropolitan University, Lancaster University, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford are working together to help SMEs create new AI products and services which will enable their businesses to grow.
As part of a new collaboration, the Greater Manchester AI Foundry is working with digital innovation hub The Landing to delivery of AI masterclasses and AI innovation and technology workshops for business growth.
The Landing, based at MediaCityUK, has played a major role in establishing Greater Manchester as a world leading digital city-region, at the heart of Salford’s innovation district.
The management of the hub has recently been handed over to IN4.0 Group, which specialises in helping SMEs and larger businesses across Greater Manchester and the North of England advance their digital technology skillsets through training and talent recruitment.
Its work in this area will now be accelerated thanks to the new collaboration with the Greater Manchester AI Foundry, a £6m European Regional Development Funded project to develop AI in Greater Manchester.
The AI Foundry alongside the Greater Manchester Cyber Foundry, another programme led by the four universities which has been supporting local SMEs in adopting cyber security innovation since May 2019, will play an integral part in the Connected Cities Innovation Lab based at The Landing.
The lab allows the region’s SMEs to access and adopt technology with a focus on cyber security, AI, data science and Internet of Things, where connected smart devices talk to each other via the internet.
The collaboration will also ensure diversity and inclusive innovation across the region and will reach cross-sector SMEs across all 10 districts within Greater Manchester to nurture and transition new talent into AI roles.
Keith Miller, Principal Investigator for GM AI Foundry from Manchester Metropolitan University, which is leading the foundry project, said: “The GM AI Foundry is delighted to be working with The Landing, under the new leadership of Mo Isap and IN4.0 Group.
“The four universities working together are bringing our cutting-edge AI research to Greater Manchester’s SMEs to help them scale.
“The collaboration will help the AI Foundry extend its reach in applying AI innovation in the GM footprint and nurturing tech talent, and we are happy to make our AI expertise accessible through The Landing.
“Together, we can support the city-region with building back smarter and better, making Greater Manchester a leader in AI nationally and internationally.”
Mo Isap, CEO of IN4.0 Group and co-chair of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “We have an ambition in Greater Manchester to be the best place to start, grow and scale a business through tech and innovation.
“With the right support in place, the region’s SME community can truly thrive and be part of a movement that is embracing digital technologies and be at the centre of the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“The application of AI is going to be transformative for businesses throughout all sectors, geographies and occupations and is fundamental to GM’s current and future international competitiveness.
“We’re looking forward to working with the GM AI Foundry team to make sure SMEs in Greater Manchester can realise their digital ambitions.”
