Up to £9 million from the Scottish Government’s CivTech programme has been awarded to 14 companies developing AI products to tackle challenges faced by the public sector organisations and charities.
A software to help identify toxic contaminants to address the risk of cancer for firefighters and an AI system which can help teachers with administrative tasks are among the products to receive funding. There are also projects focussed on using drones and an automated mapping system to monitor puffin populations in a less invasive way and an AI support system to enable entrepreneurs to grow their businesses.
Previous rounds of CivTech have invested £20 million into 90 companies and entrepreneurs since 2016. CivTech 10 is the first round of the programme to focus on AI.
Business minister Richard Lochhead said: “Scotland is well-placed to harness the advantages of artificial intelligence with its rich history of innovation and high concentration of world-leading universities and colleges.
“The rapidly growing AI sector offers opportunities for Scotland, from helping to detect health issues such as lung cancer earlier, to enabling businesses to work more efficiently.
“Through CivTech, we are revolutionising how public sector organisations work by collaborating with businesses to develop products which improve lives.”
Other projects receiving funding from CivTech 10 include technology for public sector organisations to use data securely; a platform for citizens and policy makers to understand how AI and other emerging technologies could be used in the public sector; a programme to provide detailed labour market insights to target skills and development training in Glasgow; and an AI tool to document woodland and peatland projects.
Software company Volunteero received funding in a previous round to develop a mobile app to help charities manage administrative tasks.
Rebekah MacLeod, lead project liaison officer at White Ribbon Scotland, a charity tackling violence against women which uses Volunteero’s app, said: “Working with Volunteero through the CivTech programme has completely changed how we work as a charity.
“The app means we spend less time worrying about paperwork and more time working with men and boys to directly address violence against women and girls.
“This includes encouraging more men and boys to speak out about violence against women and girls.”
