Empowering SMEs to extract value from data tools

Event Description

Ulster University is one of three UK universities to have been awarded an equal share of £4.5 million to fund small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) engagement hubs, as part of the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) programme.

Alongside Cardiff University and Newcastle University, Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry campus will become a regional hub for the programme, and provide targeted and accessible support for SMEs across Northern Ireland to improve their competitiveness and growth through the adoption of digital technologies and methods.

This support will assist regional SMEs in taking full advantage of the digital adoption expertise available from the Science and Technology Facilities Council’s (STFC) Hartree Centre including areas such as:

• supercomputing
• data analytics
• visual computing
• artificial intelligence (AI)

Enhancing productivity, engagement and growth
The universities will also use their own in-house expertise and industry engagement experience to enable the transfer and exchange of knowledge into UK businesses to enhance their productivity, innovation and growth.

Through this initiative, the Hartree Centre aims to establish an SME engagement support network across the UK, which connects its advanced digital technologies and expertise to other established regional networks of industry-led research and innovation.

£4.5m digital transformation support for SMEs across the UK – Hartree Centre (stfc.ac.uk)

Ulster University announced as part of £4.5m digital transformation support for SMEs across UK

Why this event is beneficial for SMEs

It will give SMEs the opportunity to access information on fully funded support packages that are available to them via the Hartree Centre Northern Ireland Hub. The Hartree NI Hub will support SMEs in their journey to invest in digital technology, data analytics and artificial intelligence. In turn this will enable SMEs to become more innovative, competitive, and productive within the marketplace and regional economic infrastructure.

Hartree NI Hub will do this by providing a tailored support programme in addition to resources which will allow SMEs to understand intelligence gathered from analysis of their data, and gain impartial advice, consultation, and training on digitalisation technologies.

The Hartree Centre and regional Hubs

The Hartree Centre Northern Ireland Hub alongside The Cardiff and North East Hub forms part of the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation (HNCDI) programme. This programme was devised to improve digital adoption across businesses, targeting funding and support toward UK SMEs – small and medium-sized enterprises.

Register for Event