Bournemouth University selects ICS.AI to drive institution-wide AI transformation programme

Initial phase combines AI assessment and secure workforce AI capability to support service quality, staff productivity, and a governed foundation for AI at scale

Bournemouth, UK; 27 May 2026: Bournemouth University has selected ICS.AI, a leading UK provider of AI transformation solutions for the public sector, to deliver the first phase of its strategic, institution-wide AI transformation programme.

The initial phase combines an AI Transformation Assessment with the deployment of a secure, governed Workforce AI capability. Together, this will protect and improve service quality, enhance staff productivity, and establish an institution-led foundation for AI adoption at scale.

The partnership builds on proven AI outcomes achieved across UK public sector organisations and positions Bournemouth University at the forefront of institution-wide AI adoption in higher education.

Moving beyond AI experimentation

During the first phase, ICS.AI will conduct a comprehensive AI Transformation Assessment across the university’s professional services. This will establish the university’s current AI maturity baseline, alongside identifying and prioritising high-value use cases.

The assessment will also deliver a structured, institution-specific roadmap to guide future AI adoption. The outputs will equip university leadership with a clear, evidence-based foundation for future investment decisions and potential progression to a full, multi-year AI transformation programme.

Supporting staff with Workforce AI

Alongside this, Bournemouth University will begin the phased introduction of Workforce AI capabilities designed to support staff across professional services and academic support functions in day-to-day work.

The platform provides secure generative AI tools for everyday tasks, access to AI grounded in institutional policies and knowledge, automated meeting transcription and summarisation, and structured team-based environments for collaboration.

The programme is designed to support staff, reducing repetitive administrative workload and enabling colleagues to spend more time on higher-value, student-facing, and specialist activities where human expertise and judgement remain essential.

Gerry Greyling, Chief Operating Officer at Bournemouth University, commented:

“By combining immediate staff-facing capability with an assessment and roadmap, we can ensure our approach to AI is both strategic and sustainable, while maintaining full control over our data and the pace of transformation. The initial focus on professional services reflects a deliberate strategy where we can deliver impact quickly, responsibly, and with appropriate human oversight.”

A controlled, strategic approach to transformation

Rather than relying on fragmented pilots or point solutions, the approach establishes a single, strategic platform and operating model, ensuring consistency, control, and scalability.

This approach also ensures AI adoption is both practical and responsible, enabling the university to realise benefits quickly while maintaining human oversight, institutional accountability, and full control over how AI is deployed and scaled.

Dr Cris Bloomfield, Chief Education Solutions Officer at ICS.AI, added:

“Bournemouth University is taking exactly the right approach to AI by moving beyond experimentation to a structured, governed transformation. This programme delivers immediate value through improved staff productivity while building a clear, finance-backed roadmap for AI at scale. It’s about delivering real outcomes.”

Following completion of the first phase, Bournemouth University will have the option to progress to a full, multi-year AI transformation programme.

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About Bournemouth University

Bournemouth University (BU) is a modern university located on the South Coast of England with around 17,000 students and more than 150,000 graduates living and working across 150 countries. It is ranked 41st in the UK and among the top 500 universities globally by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings (2026).

The university is known for its industry connected approach to learning and has expertise in areas including media production and animation, journalism, cyber security, environmental resilience and disaster management. Graduates from its National Centre for Computer Animation have gone on to win BAFTAs and Oscars for their innovative contributions to television, games and film.

The university has built its research strengths around meeting regional and global challenges, ensuring that research activity is responsible and relevant. This includes work to promote healthy ageing - from pioneering rehabilitation for people recovering from hip replacements to the use of AI and bioanalytical chemistry to improve the early detection of cancers. 

A focus on sustainability sees the university feature consistently in top 10 global rankings for its work towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

About ICS.AI

ICS.AI is the UK’s fastest-growing profitable AI business, delivering transformative unified AI platforms for the public sector. The SMART: AI Transformation Programme empowers councils, universities, and public organisations to modernise operations, enhance services, and guarantee savings – without lock-in or fragmentation.

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