Local industry leaders join new AICC Advisory Board

The AICC announced its industry-led board this week as it held its first board meeting at Ulster University in Derry.

The board features representation from Kainos, PwC, Seagate, Ormeau Labs, BT, Matrix and NI Screen who will be supported by Invest NI, Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, the Department for the Economy and Innovate UK. The AICC will be chaired by Kathryn Harkin, Head of AI at FinTrU, who will lead the board from Derry as it sets the strategic direction for the multi-million-pound collaboration centre, which exists to drive ethical and responsible implementation of AI across the NI business environment.

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Launched as part of a £16.3 million investment by Invest Northern Ireland and the Department for the Economy in March 2024, the AICC is based across Ulster University’s Belfast and Derry campuses and delivered in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast. In August, distinguished technology leader David Crozier CBE was appointed to lead its ramp up and delivery. 

The AICC Advisory Board features industry representation from Kainos, PwC, Seagate, Ormeau Labs, BT, Matrix and NI Screen who will be supported by representatives from Invest NI, Ulster University, Queen’s University Belfast, the Department for the Economy and Innovate UK. 

Board members, who came together for their first meeting on 11 December at Ulster University’s Derry~Londonderry campus where a third of the AICC team is currently based, include:

• Stephanie Maher, Director at Eagry Consulting & The Matrix panel 

• Patricia O’Hagan, Deputy Chair, The Matrix panel 

• Richard Newman, Programme Manager Engineering and R&D, PwC 

• Tom Gray, Group Chief Technology Officer and Director of Innovation, Kainos 

• Cormac McAteer, Senior Engineering Manager, Seagate 

• Claire Halliday, Co-founder and General Manager, Ormeau Labs 

• Cliona O’Boyle, Head of Global Innovation Centres, BT 

• Andrew Reid, Chief Content Officer, NI Screen  

• Paul McCoy, City and Growth Deals Manager, Invest NI 

• Keith Forster, Director of Technology and Sectors Division, Department for the Economy 

• Sara El-Hanfy, Head of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Innovate UK 

• Michaela Black, Professor of Artificial Intelligence, Ulster University 

• Iain Styles, Professor, School of Electronics, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Queen’s University Belfast 

• David Crozier CBE, AICC Director 

The most concentrated investment in AI skills and capacity in the UK, the AICC is building workforce understanding and capabilities in AI through training and qualification delivery, while also providing hands-on support to SMEs to help them take their first steps in AI adoption. 

With a dedicated team of 25 based across Ulster University’s Belfast and Derry~Londonderry campuses, and at Queen’s University Belfast, the AICC is delivering 390 postgraduate AI qualifications and training thousands of workers across Northern Ireland via workshop based or online skills training.  

To embed AI into NI based businesses, the AICC will provide AI, data science and/or machine learning support to 248 SMEs, supporting widespread growth of the technology. Currently, the centre is seeking expressions of interest from SMEs across Northern Ireland that wish to adopt AI and drive productivity in their business. 

Kathryn Harkin, Chair of the AICC Advisory Board said: “I am honoured to chair the Advisory Board of the Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre. This initiative represents a significant step forward in harnessing the power of AI to drive innovation and productivity across Northern Ireland – particularly for our SME community. Our goal is to make AI an accessible tool for all relevant sectors, ensuring it is implemented ethically and responsibly to benefit both businesses and society. I look forward to working with our esteemed board members and the AICC team to set a strategic direction that will foster greater adoption and understanding of AI across the region.” 

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David Crozier CBE, AICC Director said: “We are excited to bring together this cohort of authoritative voices on AI technologies to make up the AICC Advisory Board. As a collaborative centre, we are here to create new and better jobs in the sector for Northern Ireland, boost business competitiveness, generate economic impact and make the region an internationally recognised hub for advanced AI solutions. The input and expertise of a diverse range of industry leaders will be invaluable to this work and it was fantastic to get together for our first official meeting at the Derry campus this week, where a large proportion of our team is based. With ambitions to support SMEs in the North West and right across Northern Ireland, the addition of Kathryn Harkin, Head of AI at FinTrU, as AICC Advisory Board Chair will be a true asset.”

Visit: Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre for more information. 

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