BridgeAI one year on: a diverse solution to a diverse problem

In April 2023, the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme was launched with a mission to catalyse the adoption of artificial intelligence across four key UK industries: construction, transport, creative industries, and agrifood. At the core of the programme is a recognition that the AI adoption journey is far from straightforward. The challenges include a burgeoning skills gap, lack of accessible computing power, ethical and regulatory concerns, and industry-specific barriers.

Sara El-Hanfy, Head of Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning at Innovate UK, explains, “To tackle the problem holistically, Innovate UK has brought together a diverse consortium of world-leading partners through the BridgeAI programme – The Alan Turing Institute, BSI, Digital Catapult and STFC Hartree Centre. Some are experts in AI training or specific industries, while others specialise in governance or business design. All the partner organisations bring diverse and essential skill sets and expertise to the programme.”

As the BridgeAI programme celebrates its first anniversary, the achievements are already tangible – with £60 million committed in funding to support the creation of end-user driven AI products and services.

BridgeAI is also funding 16 projects with £7 million in grants through the investor partnership programme, which has secured an additional £24 million in co-investment from private investors.

However, the impact has been felt far beyond funding. Over the first year, £4 million has been invested in a huge range of activities supported by the programme partners – from expert mentorship and technical support to the training and tools needed to rapidly upskill the workforce. The programme has now engaged with 7,400 organisations across the UK, with over 2,500 directly benefiting from its broader support and activities. All of this has improved our understanding of how AI can deliver significant savings in time, cost, and labour requirements across the priority sectors.

Different businesses, different needs 

A major challenge of designing a programme to increase AI uptake is that the barriers to adoption vary hugely depending on the size and technological literacy of an organisation or sector. “Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of the UK economy, but often lack the resources to effectively adopt AI,” says Sara.

Philippa Spencer-Williams, AI Project Lead at Digital Catapult, says, “Digital Catapult has a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by SMEs, combined with extensive experience in supporting these organisations through tailored programmes to accelerate the productivity and growth of their businesses.” She notes that data accessibility is an example of a major challenge that varies hugely between organisations: “How can companies, especially smaller ones, gain access to the large, high-quality datasets required to train AI models effectively? Data sharing and partnerships with larger organisations will be key here.”

Democratising AI resources

In response to the breadth and scale of needs, the BridgeAI programme is committed to providing the resources and guidance that smaller organisations need to focus much more seriously on leveraging the transformative capabilities of the technology, while helping established companies with more advanced problems.

Emma Young, AI Research Scientist at the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s Hartree Centre, highlights the programme’s role in addressing this issue: “BridgeAI has helped businesses access the high-performance computing facilities and technical expertise here at Hartree, which is so important in bridging the resource gap and supporting the development and deployment of simple AI solutions that deliver big impact. Personally, it has also been a joy to engage with clients and problems we have never seen before.”

More than 150 organisations have been given access to bespoke technology advice and digital infrastructure through STFC Hartree’s innovation vouchers and the Turing Institute’s Independent Scientific Advisor scheme.

The AI skills gap

Another critical aspect of the programme is addressing the burgeoning AI skills gap. Nicolas Guernion, Director of Partnerships at The Alan Turing Institute, mentioned that “80% of the 2030 UK workforce is already employed today and, therefore, the probability of employees needing to work alongside AI systems in some capacity is relatively high. This means there’s a critical need to provide comprehensive AI skills training and professional development opportunities to prepare employees across all sectors. What the Turing brings to the BridgeAI programme is a comprehensive suite of data science and AI skills development programmes, from foundational AI training to advanced courses on the latest AI techniques, to help organisations ensure that they have access to the skills they need to support their employees.”

One of the key results of the programme has been the launch of the AI Skills for Business Competency Framework this year – a comprehensive roadmap for organisations, outlining the critical skills and competencies needed to successfully integrate AI into their operations from a people, process, and technology perspective. Claire Morris, Innovation Lead at Innovate UK, who leads the skills component of the BridgeAI programme, says: “The framework will be a vital tool to help organisations across all industries identify the competencies required to adopt AI and upskill their workforce effectively.” To date, over 1,400 organisations have received upskilling and training support through workshops, webinars, and online self-paced training.

Responsible AI development

Responsible AI development is a core pillar of BridgeAI, underpinning all its offerings. Dr Matilda Rhode, Sector Lead for AI & Cyber Security at BSI, says, “BSI plays a slightly different role in the programme. We offer expertise on standards and best practices for responsible, ethical and trustworthy AI systems – a crucial component for building public confidence and enabling widespread adoption.”

As well as providing access to expertise, BridgeAI has funded 43 feasibility studies specifically focused on developing trustworthy and responsible AI innovations, providing £2 million in grants. From these, 21 projects have progressed to collaborative R&D projects, receiving £21 million to bring the innovations closer to market.

Pippa says, “What we’ve been focusing on is making sure that AI development within the programme adheres to the highest standards of responsible and ethical practices, safeguarding public trust.”

A recent report by Innovate UK and Trilateral Research identified the core principles and opportunities in AI assurance, urging stakeholders to steer AI development in a direction that benefits society while safeguarding individual rights and well-being.

Connecting the AI innovation ecosystem

The success of BridgeAI to date stems from the integration of its diverse partners and offerings. Trias Gkikopoulos, Innovation Lead for Robotics & Artificial Intelligence at Innovate UK, notes that the programme benefits from Innovate UK’s “vast network of connections across the UK’s innovation ecosystem, facilitating collaboration, knowledge sharing, and access to funding opportunities.”

Nico shares that one of the highlights from this year has been “developing a close working relationship with other BridgeAI partners, including for example BSI, through workshops and the new AI Standards Hub, enabling us to keep the wider BridgeAI community updated on the latest developments in AI governance and regulation, and thus helping companies learn about a fast-evolving landscape, as an integral part of their AI adoption journey.”

Shaping the future AI ecosystem

Looking ahead, Innovate UK and its delivery partners are committed to continuous improvement. “We recognise that the AI adoption challenge is always changing, with new complexities arising as we develop and grow the programme,” acknowledges Trias. “That’s why we are committed to continuously refining and enhancing our offerings. We are actively working to bring all partner organisations together to further improve the programme through shared learnings and feedback from the industry.”

Matilda says, “There’s a lot of excitement about the continued evolution of this pioneering programme as it adapts to the rapidly changing AI landscape and the diverse needs of participating companies. We are already starting to see the benefits of collaboration and community within the space, and this will only grow over time.”

As the programme continues, its impact will extend far beyond individual organisations, shaping the future of AI in the UK and positioning the nation as a driving force in responsible and ethical AI development. Nico says, “In the future, it would be ideal to amplify the impact of the AI business skills framework by expanding its reach and potentially internationalising it, positioning the UK as a global leader in this area.”

The recently launched AI Labs, an early-stage adoption programme delivered by Innovate UK, will continue to support the key sectors through a series of immersive events that explore the latest trends in AI and highlight the skills needed to implement it strategically.

Technology is continuing to reshape the economic landscape, and the BridgeAI programme is an example of how collaboration can foster innovation that benefits businesses and society. As BridgeAI celebrates its first anniversary, it has already made a strong case for investing in responsible AI development and adoption – though there is still much to be done to fully realise its potential. The next two years will be a crucial time for amplifying the long-term impact of the programme and exploring what the future of AI-driven business might look like for the UK.

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