The Artificial Intelligence Collaboration Centre (AICC), a £16.3 million initiative funded by Invest Northern Ireland and the Department for the Economy, is supporting AI adoption across the region. Led by Ulster University in partnership with Queen’s University Belfast, the AICC brings together research, business support, training, education, and policy expertise.
The AICC is launching an AI Learning Lab in February 2026 with online learning pathways to support training for more than 3,000 individuals. The initiative includes 390 funded postgraduate scholarships building a long-term talent pipeline, including new programmes such as MSc in Ethical & Responsible AI (Ulster University) and MSc in Robotics & AI (Queen’s University Belfast).
This represents publicly-funded AI literacy access for workforce development and higher education.
Who it affects: Workforce across Northern Ireland economy; university students; business and research sectors; school students (potential pathways).
What is notably missing: Detail on curriculum content and learning outcomes; clarity on how K-12 education will connect to AICC initiatives; specification of how training connects to job placement; timeline beyond February 2026 launch.