A new national Artifical Intelligence (AI) champion has been appointed to help accelerate the adoption of AI across industry - in a bid to boost UK productivity and growth. 

UK government has chosen Professor Chris Dungey, chief technology officer at the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which the AMRC is a part of, for this crucial role. He is now set to convene industry leaders in the role to design and deliver AI programmes primarily for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to transform manufacturing processes across all regions of the UK.

Prof Chris Dungey will convene industry leaders in the role to design and deliver AI programmes primarily for small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) to transform manufacturing processes across all regions of the UK.

He said: "Global AI development is accelerating rapidly and UK manufacturing must act decisively to remain competitive. This role provides the opportunity to meet ambition with action, but requires a lot of industry effort to succeed. I am excited to get started on this important mission, building on the work we have already done in HVM Catapult, to match market demand in the manufacturing sector with current AI techologies. 

"By developing relevant, high-impact solutions, we can translate practical AI applications from cutting-edge to commonplace, making manufacturing more productive and globally competitive." 

Announced in the budget and backed by Made Smarter and Make UK, Professor Dungey will be supported by a team of HVM Catapult experts and a steering board comprising government and industry representatives.

The aims of the steering board include:

• Establishing a digital front door to provide easy access to AI and digital resources
• Raising awareness and skills among SMEs, connecting businesses to AI solutions,
• Integrating the AI for manufacturing community and wider networks to drive collaboration,
• Developing demonstrators and testbeds to validate AI applications,
• Act as a trusted adviser on policy and regulation, supporting safe AI adoption.

HVM Catapult already provides leadership in the practical application of AI in industry, de-risking adoption and foresighting future demands through technical capability roadmapping and access to specialist equipment and training in six innovation research centres.

As AI champion, Professor Dungey will strengthen the link between innovation and implementation, enabling wider uptake of AI solutions and ensure the latest AI innovations are embedded within industry.

The Industrial Strategy advanced manufacturing sector plan identified the need for a champion to drive strategic adoption of AI across the UK. The role is one of eight aimed at supporting AI adoption in priority sectors and frontier industries.

Chris McDonald, Minister for Industry in the Department for Business and Trade, said: "Professor Dungey brings a wealth of experience to this role. As a super-convenor, he will champion the adoption and scaling of AI across the advanced manufacturing sector, while ensuring industry voices are heard by clearing barriers to innovation.

"Backing advanced manufacturing is a central pillar of our modern Industrial Strategy and we look forward to leaning on Prof Dungey's insights as we seize the opportunities of AI to boost growth together." 

The appointment began on December 1, lasting for a period of 12 months - reporting to senior leaders at HVM Catapult and DBT. A mapping exercise and metrics to measure success will be established during the first phase of the programme.