News
Belfast Met secures Innovate UK funding for AI industry projects
Belfast Metropolitan College has secured funding through the UKRI TechLocal AI Professional Degree and Traineeship Accelerator competition to deliver AI Pathways NI: Work Integrated Learning Initiative.
This project will bring students and employers together to work on solving real-world challenges using artificial intelligence (AI). Businesses will gain access to student talent and fresh ideas, while students will gain practical industry experience and develop skills for their future careers.
As part of the project, Belfast Met will develop an Industry Project Portal, giving businesses a simple way to submit project ideas for students to work on. This approach will strengthen ongoing engagement between employers and education providers, creating more opportunities for collaboration, knowledge exchange, and innovation.
The initiative is especially beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may not have the resources to support traditional long-term placements but wish to harness AI to address business challenges, enhance productivity, and drive innovation.
Through AI Pathways NI, Belfast Met and its partners aim to establish a sustainable model for collaboration between education and industry, helping to develop future talent, accelerate innovation, and support economic growth across Northern Ireland.
A significant proportion of the funding will be invested directly in participating students, providing financial support while enabling them to gain meaningful industry experience and develop workplace-ready skills. The initiative will bring together students from Belfast Met, Queen's University Belfast, and Stranmillis University College through the Centre for Digital Innovation and Technology (CDIT) partnership.
A key objective of the programme is to widen participation in AI, with more than 55% of participants expected to be female. By providing meaningful industry experience and exposure to AI applications, the initiative will help increase female representation in AI and digital technology, supporting the development of a more diverse and inclusive workforce for Northern Ireland.
An industry launch event will take place in November 2026, with the first students expected to begin working on projects in February 2027.
Siobhan Lyons, Director of Development and Learner Success at Belfast Met, said:
"AI Pathways NI will create new opportunities for students and businesses to learn from each other. Students will gain valuable experience by working on real-world industry challenges, while employers will have access to emerging talent.
With UKRI's support, our ambition is to develop a sustainable model that strengthens collaboration between education and industry while helping to build the AI-skilled workforce Northern Ireland will need to thrive in the future."
Beyond its direct impact on students and employers, the project aims to establish a sustainable and transferable model that can be implemented across the further and higher education sectors. Findings from industry-led AI projects will be shared through case studies and events, helping educators ensure that curricula remain relevant, responsive, and aligned with the evolving needs of employers and industry.