Partnership will drive AI innovation and growth across Lancashire

Edge Hill University's business school has joined forces with IT firm Seriun to help businesses understand the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence, guiding them on how to adopt AI and use it to grow.

The partnership's focus is on helping businesses make better decisions, bring people with them through change, and turn plans into measurable business outcomes.

Professor Simon Bolton, associate dean (faculty of arts and sciences) and director of the Productivity and Innovation Centre (PIC) at the university, said: “Our partnership with Seriun is an exciting and highly innovative approach to university industry collaboration which brings together the University’s expertise in business innovation and productivity with leading industry insight and experience.

“The partnership will primarily enrich our SME support programmes, ensuring we remain at the forefront of addressing how AI and data are transforming businesses. However, the impact of partnering also extends much further into enriching our student experience and the support we provide for new start-up entrepreneurs.”

There are several knowledge exchange events planned throughout the next academic year, including guest masterclasses delivered to the Help to Grow and Entrepreneurship Accelerator programmes, along with guest lectures, undergraduate and postgraduate modules and industry insider seminars. The business school aims to engage with 120 businesses and 200 students each year through the collaboration.

Founded in 2003, Seriun provides IT support, telecoms and cyber security solutions to businesses across Lancashire.  

Mark Edwards, operations drector at Seriun, said: “Businesses are hearing a lot about AI, but many are still asking the same question - where do we start? This partnership will help organisations move beyond the hype and focus on practical applications that solve real business challenges.

“By combining Edge Hill's expertise with our hands on experience, we can help businesses adopt AI with confidence and achieve meaningful, measurable results.”

Alongside its contribution to the academic programme, Seriun will support Edge Hill University's PIC through a series of AI focused presentations at events throughout the academic year. Covering topics including AI adoption, real world applications and AI security, these sessions will help businesses turn emerging technologies into practical outcomes.