Scottish Government-funded initiative aims to help businesses identify AI value.
Insight has been appointed by Scottish Enterprise to support the delivery of its AI Scaling Adoption Programme across Scotland. The programme, funded by the Scottish Government, will involve collaboration with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and South of Scotland Enterprise. Its aim is to help organisations move beyond experimentation and identify where artificial intelligence can deliver genuine, sustainable value.
The initiative supports the Scottish Government’s AI Strategy 2026-2031, which sets a vision for Scotland to be a leader in responsible AI innovation and adoption. Insight’s involvement reflects its commitment to ensuring Scottish businesses have access to specialist AI expertise and strategic guidance to compete in an AI-enabled global economy.
Insight’s methodology for the programme focuses on business challenges. Participating organisations will receive a strategic AI readiness assessment tailored to their sector, growth ambitions, and strategic objectives. They will also gain expert consultancy support to identify, prioritise, and validate high-impact AI opportunities, with a focus on progressing viable use cases into strategic implementation projects.
Guidance on critical enablers of successful AI adoption, including data readiness, governance, security, workforce skills, and organisational change, will be provided. Additionally, practical support will be offered to develop a clear, actionable roadmap for implementing priority AI use cases, alongside recommendations to build internal capability and create foundations for scalable growth through AI adoption.
Lee Hughes, General Manager UK, Insight, said: “Our role is to help Scottish organisations understand where AI genuinely creates value, not to sell technology for its own sake. We’re bringing together local engagement with deep AI expertise and real-world implementation experience. Wider adoption has the potential to strengthen productivity, skills and long-term competitiveness for businesses across Scotland.”
For Scottish businesses, the programme provides a structured opportunity to assess AI readiness and identify specific high-impact use cases. It also offers access to expert guidance on implementation strategy and governance, enabling them to develop internal AI skills and governance to support sustained adoption and contribute to Scotland’s broader economic transformation.
Derek McCamley, Head of Business Scaling Services at Scottish Enterprise, said: “AI has the potential to be a significant driver of productivity and competitiveness for the Scottish Economy. Scottish businesses have the ambition to lead in AI innovation, but many lack the strategic framework to move beyond experimentation. The consultancy element of the programme, delivered by Insight provides businesses across Scotland with expert support to identify opportunities for AI adoption, address barriers to implementation, and build a practical case for wider deployment. This helps organisations move beyond isolated pilot projects and realise meaningful business value through the strategic adoption of AI.”
The award extends Insight’s broader commitment to Scotland, assisting both private and public-sector organisations in responsibly adopting AI, strengthening digital capability, and translating emerging technology into measurable economic and societal outcomes.
