---
title: "BridgeAI - Independent Scientific Advice"
source: The Turing Way
source_url: https://github.com/the-turing-way/the-turing-way
licence: CC-BY-4.0
domain: data-and-analysis
subdomain: turing-way
date_added: 2026-04-25
---

(cl-bridgeai-isa-case-study)=
# BridgeAI - Independent Scientific Advice

## Overview
In 2023, [Innovate UK BridgeAI](https://iuk.ktn-uk.org/programme/bridgeai/) was launched with a mission to drive the adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in sectors of the UK economy with high potential for AI growth. The programme promotes AI-driven productivity and efficiency gains, supporting the UK’s transition to an AI-enabled economy. The priority industries for the programme are transport, construction, agriculture and food processing, and the creative industries.

The programme aims to build meaningful relationships and bridge the gap between developers and end-users, fostering user-driven AI technologies. These relationships will enable knowledge sharing, support the development of new AI solutions to address sector-specific challenges, and address the technical and business skills gaps currently limiting the adoption of AI solutions.

## Elements of Academy-Industry Collaboration

As a key partner in BridgeAI, The Alan Turing Institute provides independent scientific advice to companies encountering challenges associated with AI adoption and data science to the priority sectors.

Independent Scientific Advisors (ISAs) are academics or industry experts with a wealth of experience and expertise in different aspects of AI and data science, including but not limited to AI chatbots, causal neuro-symbolic AI, computational biology and linguistics, cybersecurity of cyber-physical systems, data management, machine learning, compliance-driven assurance, and generative AI. ISAs have experience at the crossroads of industry and academia and can drill down into the complex adoption challenges that organisations face.

## How it works
To get access to bespoke advisory services, organisations from the priority sectors complete an expression of interest form on the BridgeAI website. They specify, among other details, the business challenges their organisation would most like to solve with data science and/or AI, and to what extent data science and/or AI might improve their business revenue and/or productivity. After a review process, organisations are matched with an Independent Scientific Advisor (ISA) and begin working together. They have regular sessions where they review their challenges, and the ISA can advise on solutions. Some examples of advisory support include assistance with understanding AI technologies, upskilling their teams, and providing guidance on recruitment. If needed, the ISA can also refer them to another ISA expert.

After a maximum period of 16 weeks, the organisation will be empowered to progress on their AI adoption journey.   

## Challenges
Some of the challenges we currently face are associated with a common belief in the industry that AI can solve all problems, a lack of understanding of AI technologies, their uses and implementation, and the limited time and resources SMEs have.

Understanding these challenges is helping us develop upskilling opportunities to overcome them and facilitate better advisory that impacts their operations and the sector in general.

## Next steps
By June 2024, the ISAs have advised over 100 organisations, learning about the organisations' barriers and the sector's structural needs.

The team of ISA's, Sr Community Manager and Programme Manager are conducting an analysis to understand the organisations' characteristics, such as size and maturity level and their journey on AI adoption approaches. Additionally, case studies will be launched capturing the impact of the ISA support in the organisation's AI adoption journey.
