AI Training Merseyside

AI training for Merseyside businesses

Merseyside is home to over 43,000 active enterprises across a £32 billion economy that the Liverpool City Region Growth Plan aims to grow to £45 billion by 2035. The region supports 1.6 million residents across five boroughs, each with distinct economic strengths: Liverpool's digital and creative cluster, Wirral's professional services and healthcare, Sefton's tourism and logistics, Knowsley's advanced manufacturing and St Helens' glass and logistics heritage. An £11 billion investment pipeline is currently in play across the region.

The digital economy across Merseyside has grown 48% in the last decade, outstripping the national average. Liverpool is now the second fastest growing digital cluster in the UK with over 3,500 digital companies. The region has become the UK's leading film and TV hub outside London, with 1,600+ productions since 2019 adding £150 million to the economy. LJMU established its Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technologies Research Institute in 2025, and the LCR AI Summit brought together global AI leaders at ACC Liverpool.

Despite this infrastructure, AI adoption among Merseyside SMEs lags behind. North West England shows the highest AI engagement in the North at 27%, but that still trails London at 82%. Only 18% of Northern firms actively integrate AI, and only 30% of micro-businesses have adopted it at all. The top barriers are unclear use cases, cost and lack of skills. For the 90% of Merseyside businesses that are micro or small enterprises, the gap between available AI technology and practical business implementation is where the biggest opportunity sits.

The region's business support infrastructure is strong. The Growth Platform runs high-growth programmes across the City Region. The Combined Authority has committed over £60 million to adult skills and training. The University of Liverpool and LJMU anchor the Knowledge Quarter, with Sciontec AI at The Spine providing dedicated AI workspace. The £5.1 million Horizons programme is already supporting over 100 SMEs with innovation and digital adoption.

What Merseyside SMEs need is not more technology infrastructure but practical, hands-on guidance on using AI in their specific workflows. A trainer based in Liverpool who understands the local business landscape, from Baltic Triangle agencies to Wirral consultancies to Knowsley manufacturers, delivers training grounded in the reality of running a business in this region. That local understanding is what separates useful AI training from generic online courses.