Bespoke trustworthy AI solutions for businesses
Do you want to improve business productivity? Or strengthen decision-making, reduce operational risk, or create new ways to deliver value to clients? Our AI solutions help organisations apply reliable, trustworthy AI solutions for business in a practical, commercially focused way.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) can deliver real and tangible benefits for any business. From performing and accelerating repetitive tasks to cyber security to accurately predicting and acting on workloads and employee needs, we can help you identify the right resource and approach. Tell us the business challenge you’re facing and use our specialised AI expertise to strengthen and optimise your business through trustworthy and reliable AI, designed to improve competitiveness, productivity, and performance.
We can also help you secure collaboration funding and manage innovative projects to make your business better. Smarter. Faster.
Why partner with Essex?
- A long‑standing centre of excellence.
Our Institute for Analytics and Data Science (IADS) has been the intellectual home of world‑leading experts in data science and Artificial Intelligence for over 50 years, delivering research that shapes industry practice.
- A collaborative, cross‑university AI capability.
We bring together specialists from across disciplines to design bespoke data and AI solutions tailored to the needs of professional and business services.
- Expertise that supports real outcomes.
Our work spans advanced analytics, machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, predictive modelling, cyber security, automation and optimisation, and transparent, ethical AI.
- AI skills that strengthen your organisation.
We support data literacy and upskilling, helping your teams build confidence and capability to work smarter and faster.
Areas of expertise that could transform your business
Advanced Analytics
Computer Vision and Image Classification
Automate classification and deliver high-level understanding from images or videos to accelerate processes and reduce manual inputs, freeing staff to take on more value-added responsibilities.
Transparent and Ethical AI
Machine Learning
Leverage data to improve performance, building methods that 'learn' to deliver and act on workload and customer needs to offer fee certainty with high-quality services. ML can also achieve specific objectives such as fraud detection, automated trading, enhanced risk management and other business benefits.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Text analytics and knowledge discovery to increase accuracy and interpret unstructured data leading to an improved understanding of your information with the ability to streamline processes, reduce costs, improve customer satisfaction and better understand your market.
Cyber Security
Remove fear of data breaches to enhance trust within the business and from clients. Protect your data and networks with AI that becomes more intelligent over time, helping you to identify known and unknown threats.
Data Literacy
Upskill your workforce to deliver the likes of improved decision making, innovation, productivity and an entrepreneurial mindset; empowering them to deliver in a smarter and faster way.
Predictive Modelling
Efficiently utilise data to predict and forecast outcomes to gain real-time insight, improve customer service levels and make efficiency savings. Identify different groups of customers for targeted analysis, precision marketing and behavioural prediction.
Automation and Optimisation
Automate processes to deliver, for example, touchless claims processing, AI fraud detection and pattern recognition. Then optimise these processes to deliver further improvements and deliver commercial benefits with minimal risk.
Collaborate with us
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTPs)
We're number 1 in the UK for the number of Innovate UK funded KTPs
Knowledge Transfer Partnerships are part-government-funded collaborations between universities and businesses.
We have successfully secured more Innovate UK KTP funding than any other university in the East of England or London. You could access around £150k through this program. Essex will lead the entire process and have a sector-leading track record at winning this funding. All projects are commercially driven and underpinned by world-class research from Essex.
Come to us with an issue and we'll identify one of our academic teams to work with you and recruit a high-calibre graduate who will be based in your company as an associate to manage the project.
Innovate UK Smart Grants
Innovate UK Smart Grants, are funding for game-changing and disruptive ideas no matter what sector for UK based companies.
To apply your business needs either:
- an idea for a completely new product, service or process
- a brand-new use or an unprecedented use for an existing product, service or process that take it above and beyond what’s currently available
If you think your business fits the bill, contact our Business Engagement team for more details.
Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT)
This new programme from Innovate UK has been designed to create short-term collaborations between a business and a UK Knowledge Base, such as the University of Essex, to rapidly inject innovation capacity.
Inspired by the highly successful Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) model, the aim of Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) is to deliver a fast and targeted collaboration to accelerate the evaluation or development of an innovation project or concept, which has the potential for significant impact for the Business Partner.
The programme offers grand funding of up to £35,000 per project for collaborations lasting two to four months.
Find out more about AKTs with Essex here.
Consultancy
Our academic experts have years of experience working with businesses and organisations of all sizes, regionally, nationally and internationally.
By drawing on one of our 800 academic experts across 17 subject-based departments, you can gain access to specialist consultants to engage on specific projects at a level to suit your needs. Whether it's a short-term consultancy agreement or an ongoing partnership, we have the expertise to meet your requirements.
Our expertise can be applied in many different ways, including:
- technical advice on product development and process re-engineering
- product testing and analysis
- developing bespoke training sessions for you and your team on a specific topic
- help with market research and business planning
- survey and research design
- expert advice on policy, legal and legislative issues
Meet some of our partners
Find out more about how we've collaborated with our partners to deliver bespoke AI solutions for their businesses.
Get the best value for money when investing in new services. Let us help you make informed, evidence-based decisions, and reduce the risks of change and innovation in your organisation.