The government says these projects will provide targeted help to local entrepreneurs and tech firms, catalysing growth in places traditionally left out of the UK’s innovation spotlight. The first investment events are planned for Bristol and Leeds, where government will connect innovation clusters with investors and facilitate collaboration across sectors. 

While many UK firms have struggled to translate AI investments into tangible returns, the pressure is rising to localise AI adoption across more regions. Sixty percent of companies report no material value from AI so far, while only 35% are scaling AI at enterprise level. As the new tech booster projects roll out, the success of such regional programmes will depend heavily on how well they embed data readiness, talent pipelines, and governance frameworks in local settings.

Stuart Harvey, CEO, Datactics, commented: "The government's move to fund regional tech projects is a welcome one, particularly the investment in AI skills for tech founders. However, it's vital that founders, businesses and communities across the UK are given the core data skills that are critical for successfully embedding AI in society.

"This means understanding how to identify what data is suitable and ready for AI, using tried and tested data quality and data governance approaches to ensure that local startups and firms don’t just build things, they build them with integrity. Without these strong foundations, we risk amplifying errors, bias, and inefficiencies across society. These regional projects present a tremendous opportunity to elevate communities, by not only giving them tools and capital, but by instilling the data management practices that make innovation reliable, trustworthy, and resilient.”

Sachin Agrawal, Managing Director for Zoho UK, said: “Regional programmes like the Tech Booster are a crucial step toward making sure the benefits of AI and data innovation are distributed fairly across the UK, not just in London. For businesses, the opportunity lies not just in adopting AI tools, but in developing the skills, governance, and readiness to apply them responsibly at scale.

“However, many initiatives will fail to move beyond pilots if they don’t embed data quality, governance, and structured training at their core. This is where local ecosystems must ensure that innovation isn’t just about access to funding, but about building sustainable capacity and trust in the use of AI.

"Looking ahead, government, educators, and industry need to collaborate on long-term frameworks that support regional skills pipelines, help firms embed strong governance practices, and ensure access to ethical AI training for both technical and non-technical staff. This requires balancing global expertise with deep investment in local ecosystems, nurturing talent, strengthening regional economies, and ensuring that AI innovation benefits the communities where it is deployed, not just centralised hubs. By doing so, we can unlock innovation that is inclusive, reliable, and future-ready, giving businesses and communities across the UK the tools to thrive in the AI era.”

As the Regional Tech Booster unfolds, the challenge will be turning strategic intent into sustained local capacity, so that innovation, jobs, and AI benefits aren’t concentrated in a few hubs, but shared across the UK.

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