Manchester digital transformation specialist ANS Group has committed £3 million to support AI adoption across Greater Manchester, announcing the investment at Manchester: The UK’s AI Powerhouse at the Science and Industry Museum.
The event brought together leaders from across business, academia, government and technology to discuss how Greater Manchester can build on its position as one of the UK’s leading AI hubs and translate innovation into long-term economic growth.
It featured keynote addresses from Darren Hardman, CEO of Microsoft UK and Ireland; Liz Scott, CEO of Turing Innovation Catalyst and strategic advisor to Greater Manchester Combined Authority on AI ecosystem growth and development; and Richard Thompson, CEO of ANS. A panel discussion also featured Sue Daley, director of technology and innovation at techUK.
Hosted by ANS, Microsoft’s UK Partner of the Year, the event’s speakers emphasised the city-region’s emergence as a centre for AI innovation, underpinned by its strengths in research, talent, entrepreneurship and collaboration between industry, academia and the public sector.
Scott highlighted the scale of the opportunity ahead, noting that Greater Manchester is now home to the UK’s largest AI cluster outside the Golden Triangle, with more than 300 AI-first startups and scaleups and over 13,500 people working in AI-related roles across the city-region.
Against this backdrop, Thompson announced ANS’s £3 million commitment to help organisations across Greater Manchester adopt AI with confidence and translate emerging opportunities into practical outcomes.
This initial investment will provide support over the next year for organisations looking to assess their readiness for AI, identify high-value opportunities and implement technologies securely and responsibly, with a particular focus on ensuring people and skills remain central to transformation programmes.
Richard Thompson, CEO of ANS, said: “From the Industrial Revolution to the birth of modern computing, innovation is part of Manchester’s identity. We have a unique opportunity to shape the next wave of technological progress. The challenge is ensuring organisations of every size have the skills, support and confidence to make AI work for them.”
During his keynote, Hardman – who grew up in Manchester – emphasised the importance of ensuring AI acts as a driver of opportunity and social mobility rather than creating new barriers to participation.
He said: “Talent is everywhere, it’s just not evenly distributed when it comes to opportunity. It’s still shaped heavily by geography, background, education and access to personal networks. This disparity creates a real risk because social mobility is not just a question of fairness – it’s a question of our national competitiveness. The nations that will succeed in this age of AI will be those that unlock the potential of everyone, wherever that talent is found.”
“If we get this right, AI can help create a stronger economy, better public services, more dynamic businesses and broader opportunity for people across this region.”
This theme was echoed throughout the evening, with discussions focusing on how Greater Manchester can ensure technological progress translates into inclusive economic growth, widening access to the skills, opportunities and confidence needed to thrive in an AI-enabled economy.
Thompson added: “One of the things we’re most proud of at ANS is helping people from all backgrounds to build successful careers in the industry.
“As AI transforms the workplace, we must ensure opportunity expands rather than narrows. If Greater Manchester is going to drive the next era of growth and innovation, we need to make sure anyone with the talent and the drive has the chance to participate in it.”
Learn more about accessing ANS’s AI adoption fund here.
