Cardiff University, Ulster University, and Newcastle University have each been awarded a share of the funding as part of an innovation programme being undertaken by the Centre in partnership with IBM.

The programme aims to equip UK businesses with the skills and knowledge to adopt digital technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), data analytics, supercomputing, and quantum computing.

The trio each received a third of the funding pot to deliver accessible support for SMEs, in a bid to improve their competitiveness and growth through the adoption of digital technologies and methods.

The universities will utilise their expertise and industry engagement experience to enable the exchange of knowledge into UK businesses, as to help enhance their productivity, innovation, and growth.

Further, they will also promote the use of the digital adoption expertise that’s available from the Centre.

“The UK has always been at the cutting-edge of some of the most important technologies of tomorrow, but too often, we’ve failed to translate that unrivalled expertise into practical tools and resources which can benefit our wider business communities,” said Minister of State at the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology, George Freeman.

“These new hubs will allow us to target support at a local level, while laying the foundations for a larger support ecosystem connecting companies right across the UK.”

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Kate Royse, Director of the Hartree Centre, also commented, saying: “It’s important to us that support for digital technology adoption reaches as many companies across the UK as possible, and the Hartree Centre SME hubs will enhance that regional access.

“The partner organisations we’ve selected have a wealth of data science and AI expertise that builds on our own, and will be key to the Hartree National Centre for Digital Innovation [programme] growing our SME networks and supporting more organisations to upskill and carry out digital transformation.

“The SME hubs will help the Hartree Centre support the UK to put digital innovation at the heart of our future economic sustainability.”