Black Country Chamber of Commerce CEO Sarah Moorhouse joined representatives from Tech WM and WMCA on the judging panel for a brand new 12-week AI adoption programme for West Midlands SME’s and manufacturers.
The AI Adoption Accelerator Programme is a collaboration between AND Digital and Tech WM offering a free 12-week programme for SME’s trying to compete in an AI driven market.
Chamber CEO Sarah Moorhouse, Naomi Nash from Tech WM and Iain Mansell from WMCA sat on the judging panel for the Accelerator Programme which will help businesses break down the cost and skills barriers to AI adoption.
Ten businesses delivered five-minute presentations explaining their interest in the programme and why they’re a good fit, followed by questions from the panel. Each judge scored the businesses independently and made their recommendations for the final decision.
The programme, which officially launched on July 1st, welcomed eight successful West Midlands businesses looking to adopt artificial intelligence to speed up their process and improve efficiency whilst generating jobs and cutting costs.
Black Country businesses successful in their application include Arc Metal Design, William King Ltd and James Lister & Sons who will now embark on the programme.
Sarah Moorhouse commented:
“Judging the AI Accelerator submissions was a great experience. I was pleased to see some Black Country businesses entries alongside those from West Midlands institutions.
“I hope each organisation involved will have the opportunity to pioneer the transformation of manufacturing in the West Midlands using AI.”
Businesses on the programme will benefit from expert mentorship, networking opportunities, tools, resources and dedicated support to design and test a real-world AI proof of concept with a group of technical experts.
www.blackcountrychamber.co.uk