Aston University has recently unveiled a cutting-edge Centre of Excellence aimed at fostering collaboration among businesses, academia, and policy-makers to drive the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Teaming up with renowned French IT company Capgemini, the Centre of Excellence for Enterprise AI is now operational at the university’s City of London campus.
Professor Aleks Subic, Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Aston University, emphasized the rapid transformation AI is bringing to both business and society. He stressed the importance for enterprises to leverage AI and generative AI (GenAI) to maintain competitiveness and fuel future growth.
The university’s vision is to establish a collaborative AI ecosystem involving businesses, researchers, and policymakers to develop and implement responsible AI solutions that benefit both the enterprise and society. The Centre will also focus on nurturing AI talent through advanced training programs, including executive education and upskilling initiatives.
A recent report from the Capgemini Research Institute highlighted a strong commitment to investing in AI, with 74% of business leaders ranking AI and GenAI among their top technology investment priorities for 2025. Nonetheless, the challenge lies in effectively adopting AI across organizations and realizing its full potential.
According to Steven Webb, UK Chief Technology and Innovation Officer at Capgemini, collaboration is key to nurturing talent, fostering essential skills for future growth, and creating a conducive environment for innovators and businesses. By bringing together academia, the private sector, and government, the UK can solidify its position as a global AI powerhouse.
As businesses and regulators embrace AI and establish regulatory frameworks, the demand for new skills is on the rise. Financial regulators like the Bank of England and the FCA are closely monitoring the use of AI and machine learning in the UK’s financial services sector. A recent survey by the Bank of England revealed that three-quarters of firms are already leveraging AI in their operations.
Early use cases of AI in these firms have been relatively low risk from a financial stability perspective. Examples include optimizing internal processes (41%) and enhancing customer support (26%) using AI technologies.
Academia also plays a crucial role in advancing AI development responsibly. In 2023, the University of Glasgow inaugurated a dedicated Centre for Data Science and AI to consolidate its research efforts in these areas. The centre brings together hundreds of academics from various disciplines to tackle challenges such as climate change and inequality through data science and AI.
The Centre’s six research programs span across engineering and physical sciences, medical and life sciences, economic and social sciences, arts and humanities, innovation, and fundamental research in data science and AI.
