AI productivity drive gets £32m UKRI boost  

Announced by new AI Minister Feryal Clark, the funding will specifically target solutions in ‘high growth’ industries, including construction, healthcare, logistics and electric vehicles. A total of 98 individual projects have been selected for the new wave of investment, which is funded through the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Technology Missions Fund and delivered through the Innovate UK BridgeAI programme.

“These projects will drive AI innovation and economic growth in a diverse range of high-growth industry sectors in all nations of the UK,” said Dr Kedar Pandya, senior responsible owner at UKRI Technology Missions Fund and executive director of Cross-Council Programmes at EPSRC. 

“They complement other investments made through the UKRI Technology Missions Fund, which are already helping to boost growth and productivity across the UK by harnessing the power of AI and other transformative technologies.”

Projects that will benefit include V-Lab, receiving £165,006 to further develop AI-powered software to help people train in the construction sector; a project led by Nottingham-based Anteam that will see the company working alongside retailers and the NHS to improve the efficiency of their deliveries using AI algorithms; a new venture led by Crosstech to develop an entirely autonomous system that can monitor, manage and identify defects on rail infrastructure across the country; and £750,152 awarded to Monumo to support the advance of its ‘3D Generative-AI Tool’ to improve the design of electric motors.

“AI will deliver real change for working people across the UK – not only growing our economy but improving our public services,” said Minister for Digital Government and AI, Feryal Clark.

“That’s why our support for initiatives like this will be so crucial – backing a range of projects which could reduce train delays, give us new ways of maintaining our vital infrastructure, and improve experiences for patients by making it easier to get their prescriptions to them.

“We want technology to boost growth and deliver change right across the board, and I’m confident projects like these will help us realise that ambition.”