A HI-TECH firm that is a stalwart of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce is sharing in £3million of Euro cash to boost artificial intelligence.

IN4.0, which provides digital services to companies and manages The Landing digital design hub in MediaCityUK, Salford, will be helping firms access the latest technology alongside the Greater Manchester AI Foundry.

Together they have received a £3m European Regional Development Fund investment to develop artificial intelligence technology and accelerate its uptake in the region.

IN4.0 Group CEO Mo Isap said: “With the right support in place, the region’s small and medium-sized enterprise community can truly thrive and be part of a movement that is embracing digital technologies and be at the centre of the fourth industrial revolution.

“The application of AI is going to be transformative for businesses throughout all sectors, geographies and occupations and is fundamental to our current and future international competitiveness.”

This comes just weeks after IN4.0 took over management of The Landing with a pledge to continue to innovate and help support more diversity in the tech industry.

Mr Isap said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted many inequalities which we will be addressing head on.

“One of our primary objectives is to create the most diverse and inclusive innovation community.

“Doing this deliberately ensures that social value is on a par with economic value so that all citizens young and old in the region will have the opportunity to succeed and break new ground in our districts.”

This new development will see the organisations work alongside four regional universities, Manchester Metropolitan University, Lancaster University, the University of Manchester and the University of Salford, to help develop the latest technology and allow businesses to adapt to it.

Greater Manchester AI Foundry principal investor Keith Miller said: “The GM AI Foundry is delighted to be working with The Landing, under the new leadership of Mo Isap and IN4.0 Group.”