Welsh Government funding of £2.1m will see dedicated support made
available to help SMEs across Wales adopt artificial intelligence
(AI) and maximise the benefits of its potential.
The funding will empower Welsh SMEs, entrepreneurs and
microbusinesses to integrate AI into their business practices
ethically and effectively, enhancing productivity, innovation,
and competitiveness.
The Business Wales service will receive £600k to develop and
deliver an AI awareness and adoption support programme –
implementing recommendations from recent short-term reviews on
SME productivity and AI adoption.
A further £500k will be provided to significantly enhance both
the tourism and the events sectors in Wales using AI. This
investment will include an AI Pollination Project, working in
partnership with experts in the Hartree Centre Cardiff Hub (HCCH)
and Cardiff University's Digital Transformation Innovation
Institute (DTII), to accelerate the adoption of artificial
intelligence with event organisers in Wales.
It will complement specialist tourism digital expertise, with
in-person workshops designed to provide up to 1,000 Welsh tourism
microbusinesses and SMEs with practical AI skills for digital
marketing and content creation.
Another £1m will see an AI upskilling offer developed through the
Flexible Skills Programme (FSP). It will focus on bridging
digital skills gaps and support inclusive growth by ensuring
access to training across regions and industries – with employers
paying just 25 per cent of AI training costs and 50 per cent for
other FSP courses.
Swansea-based Something Different Wholesale is one business
already embracing AI to supercharge its operations.
With a turnover of £11 million, a team of 75 staff, and 12,000
active business-to-business customers worldwide, the giftware
company uses AI to process data and provide market insight on
products, to automate time-consuming tasks so staff can focus
their expertise in more valuable ways, and to deliver customer
services.
It is also launching a new global website, using AI to translate
its web pages into various languages.
Jane Wallace-Jones, the founder of Something Different
Wholesale, said:
“Artificial intelligence is advancing at a rapid pace and
businesses that successfully adopt AI and integrate it into their
processes will gain a significant competitive advantage. However,
many SMEs lack the in-house expertise needed to utilise the
latest technologies effectively.
“This Welsh Government funding presents a valuable opportunity
for Welsh businesses like ours to access high-quality AI training
and improve productivity. This will help boost growth,
innovation, and create more employment opportunities in Wales.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, , said:
“This important funding builds on powerful showcases of Welsh
innovation, technology, and ambition in dynamic and forward
looking sectors at Wales Tech Week and the Wales Investment
Summit.
“AI is transforming the business sector, improving productivity
and driving change. This programme of AI awareness, adoption and
upskilling will help us ensure SMEs across all sectors in Wales
are prepared to optimise the potential of emerging AI
technologies in responsible, inclusive and ambitious ways.
“This will play a crucial role in putting the AI Plan for Wales
into action, enabling people, communities, and businesses in
every corner of Wales to start realising the benefits of
artificial intelligence.”
Skills Minister said:
“We recognise the huge potential of AI to supercharge business
development and economic growth and are determined to do all we
can to support the ambition of SMEs across Wales to develop the
skills needed for future success.
“Our hugely successful Flexible Skills Programme already
benefitting thousands of businesses across Wales and this latest
£1m of funding will bridge digital skills gaps and accelerate the
ethical and responsible adoption of AI in a rapidly evolving
digital economy.”
