New regional partnership publishes AI Leadership and Skills Strategy as its first major initiative
The AI Growth Alliance (AIGA) has been formally launched at the Farnborough International Airshow to champion Hampshire and the Solent’s AI future, bringing together businesses, universities, colleges, local authorities, public sector organisations, industry bodies and community partners around a shared ambition to ensure the region thrives in the age of artificial intelligence.
As artificial intelligence reshapes every sector of the economy, the Alliance has been established to help ensure Hampshire and the Solent is well positioned to seize the opportunities AI presents while addressing the challenges that accompany such rapid technological change.
The AI Growth Alliance is the region’s collaborative partnership for responsible AI growth. Its role is to connect the organisations that make up Hampshire and the Solent’s AI ecosystem, identify opportunities and gaps where collective action can make the greatest difference, and provide a coherent regional voice to Government and potential investors. By aligning expertise, resources and ambition, the Alliance aims to attract investment, strengthen innovation, influence policy and accelerate the responsible adoption of AI across the region.
The Alliance exists to ensure businesses across Hampshire and the Solent have access to the skills, resources, partnerships and opportunities they need to adopt artificial intelligence with confidence. At the same time, it is helping residents understand how AI will affect their lives, providing opportunities to learn new skills, adapt to changing ways of working and benefit from the opportunities AI will create. By connecting organisations across the region, the Alliance is helping build a stronger economy in which the benefits of AI are shared as widely as possible.
Working with partners from across Hampshire and the Solent, the Alliance is already delivering collaborative initiatives spanning leadership and skills, innovation, infrastructure, responsible AI adoption and community engagement, with further programmes already in development.
As one of its first published outputs, the Alliance has today released the AI Leadership and Skills Strategy for Hampshire and the Solent (2026–2029). Developed through extensive engagement with employers, educators and regional partners, the Strategy provides a practical framework for developing AI leadership, workforce capability and digital confidence across the region, demonstrating the Alliance’s commitment to delivering practical outcomes from the outset.
David Patterson, Chair of the AI Growth Alliance, said:
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform every sector of Hampshire and the Solent’s economy, but no single organisation can realise that potential alone. The AI Growth Alliance is connecting the expertise, ambition and experience that already exists across our region, helping us identify shared priorities, make the strongest possible case for investment and ensure businesses and communities alike benefit from the opportunities AI will create.
“Our ambition is simple: to champion Hampshire and the Solent as one of the UK’s leading regions for practical, responsible AI adoption by building the partnerships, confidence and capability that will turn AI ambition into real-world impact.”
Mandy Boughton, President of Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, said:
“Hampshire’s economy is built on the ambition and resilience of its businesses – the vast majority of them SMEs and microbusinesses who are already exploring what AI can do for them. As the region’s Employer Representative Body, the Chamber has heard directly from over 1,000 businesses through the Hampshire and Solent Local Skills Improvement Plan, and the message is clear: AI skills, confidence and practical support are among the most pressing priorities for employers of every size and sector. This strategy translates that employer evidence into a regional framework that gives businesses, communities and the wider workforce the tools to adopt AI with confidence and on their own terms. We look forward to working with our partners across Hampshire and the Solent to turn this strategy into real opportunity for all.”
The AI Leadership and Skills Strategy is available to download here.
About Hampshire Chamber of Commerce
Hampshire Chamber of Commerce is the independent voice of local business across the county and one of the largest regional business networks in the UK. With a strategic vision to ‘unlock Hampshire’s potential’, Hampshire Chamber brings together the combined influence, strength and expertise of the county’s three former major chambers. It works with over 2,000 individual firms spanning all sectors and sizes of business. Member services include training, advice, international trade documentation, events, networking opportunities and lobbying to policymakers on issues affecting business. Hampshire Chamber’s business network is designed to help any employer to grow and thrive irrespective of their stage on the enterprise journey.
About AI Growth Alliance
The AI Growth Alliance (AIGA) is Hampshire and the Solent’s collaborative partnership for responsible AI growth.
The Alliance connects organisations across business, education, research, local government, the public sector and communities to strengthen the regional AI ecosystem, identify opportunities for collective action and present a coherent regional voice to Government and investors. Its purpose is to help ensure Hampshire and the Solent has the skills, infrastructure, partnerships and investment needed to thrive in an AI-enabled economy.
Working alongside its partners, the Alliance is developing collaborative programmes spanning leadership and skills, innovation, infrastructure, responsible AI adoption and community engagement. The AI Leadership and Skills Strategy for Hampshire and the Solent (2026–2029) is the first of a series of initiatives designed to build long-term regional capability and economic growth.