AI Assurance 2026 morning session: From Strategic Priority to Action | MTC

Discover how AI assurance can help accelerate the safe, trusted and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence in UK manufacturing. Recorded at the AI Assurance Conference 2026 at the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), this session explores how manufacturers can move from AI experimentation and pilot projects towards confident, scalable deployment in real industrial environments. The session examines the opportunity for AI in manufacturing, including applications across factory operations, predictive maintenance, quality, supply chain optimisation and the wider engineering lifecycle. Speakers explore why industrial AI adoption is still struggling to move beyond pilot projects and how AI assurance, validation, governance and evidence can help organisations deploy AI safely and effectively. Topics include: AI assurance and responsible AI AI adoption in UK manufacturing Moving industrial AI from pilot to scale AI validation, testing and governance Safe and trusted AI deployment AI on the factory floor and in operational technology environments Data readiness and integration AI skills and workforce readiness AI standards, certification and regulation Building business cases and demonstrating ROI from AI AI assurance in safety-critical environments Human interaction with AI systems Agentic AI and emerging AI technologies Scaling AI across manufacturing supply chains The role of testbeds, sandboxes and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult Building UK capability in AI and advanced manufacturing The session also explores a central question for industrial AI adoption: is assurance a brake on innovation, or can effective assurance become an accelerator? Speakers discuss how manufacturers can establish the evidence, confidence and organisational readiness needed to take AI into live production environments, while managing the technical, operational, human and commercial risks involved. The session also introduces the MTC Innovation Accelerator, which is supporting the development and adoption of emerging technologies including physical AI, helping innovative businesses de-risk technology and connect new solutions with real industrial challenges.