More than 150 SMEs in Wales got hands-on with AI at Google’s final AI Works for Business event in Cardiff, hosted in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade and NatWest.
The nationwide events address AI adoption barriers identified in Google’s AI Works report, such as insufficient SME training opportunities that are preventing growing businesses across Wales from unlocking an AI-powered economic boost worth over five billion. The report highlights how just a few hours of practical hands-on training could help to unlock widespread SME AI adoption and upskilling.
Secretary of State for Business and Trade Peter Kyle, and Maureen Costello, Google Cloud VP for UKI, Sub-Sahara highlighted the AI opportunity and invited SME leaders and workers in attendance to use AI-powered technologies to boost their productivity and take their businesses to the next level. Throughout the day, attendees took part in hands-on AI demos, designed to showcase generative AI’s various use cases and heard from Welsh SMEs such as Dragon Fire & Safety – a business currently featured in the Google Workspace ‘10 stories’ campaign – on how AI has helped to give them time back.
Google research suggests that 68% of Cardiff-based SME owners have had to put their ‘game changing’ ideas on pause over the last 12 months, as they haven’t had the time to bring their innovation to life. The same research found that nearly two-thirds (64%) of SME owners in Cardiff believe that having more time to innovate could unlock significant revenue growth, with over a third (34%) citing that their innovations could increase revenues by 40%. This productivity boost would play a key role in unlocking a £5.1 billion boost for SMEs across the country.
The Google Workspace ‘10 Stories’ campaign shares the stories of several businesses such as farmers, event venues and clothing companies who are using Gemini in Google Workspace to communicate with their teams, brainstorm ideas, and connect with new customers. The campaign aims to inspire more SME leaders to discover helpful AI use cases that will give them more time for creativity and innovation.
Maureen Costello, Google Cloud VP for UKI, Sub-Sahara, said:
“The data coming out of Wales is especially compelling. The finding that a staggering 68% of Cardiff-based small business owners have had to shelve ‘game-changing' ideas due to time constraints is a clear signal: we are facing a national innovation bottleneck. AI is the most significant opportunity we have right now to break that constraint, allowing these entrepreneurs to shift their focus from the daily grind to the strategic, creative work that will define the future of their businesses.
“This is precisely why we brought our AI event to Cardiff. Google is committed to ensuring that every business, in every corner of the UK—including those right here in Wales—can access the skills and the tools necessary to compete in this new era. By showing businesses how to immediately implement practical AI solutions, like Google Workspace and NotebookLM, we are empowering them to recapture their time, reignite stalled innovation, and accelerate growth for the Welsh economy.”
Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Peter Kyle, added:
“AI is transforming the way we work, and this partnership with Google will give small businesses vital hands-on experience of how to capitalise on the many benefits of AI to innovate, grow, and compete on the global stage.
“AI transformation is a crucial part of our mission to kickstart economic growth, which is why our Plan for Small Businesses is supporting SMEs across the UK to adopt new digital technologies.”
Andrew Hearne, Director of Operations at Dragon Fire and Safety, said:
“NotebookLM has allowed me to put all of my thoughts, details, and information in one place – whether it be on details on the planned special effects, our risk assessments, location photos, or intended action scenes – and with a click of a button, I’ve got a briefing document.
“It’s been crucial in helping us to scale up as quickly as we have, and we’re just getting started.”
