The £47 billion question: Why Britain's Growth engine Is stalling

Only 25% of UK SME’s are actively using AI, despite a conservative estimate of £47 billion in annual productivity gains available from AI adoption for the UK (GOV.UK, 2025).

That's not a tech problem, it's an adoption problem.

Last week's British Chambers of Commerce Global Annual Conference made the solution crystal clear: Britain's next wave of productivity won't just come from Whitehall initiatives or enterprise software rollouts. It will be driven by the 200,000-plus firms represented in Chamber networks – if we can democratise AI capability across them at pace.

The Scale of the Prize

The BCC's new Blueprint for Growth doesn't mince it’s words. AI adoption sits at just 25% for SME’s, with 43% of firms having no plans to change course. Yet closing this gap could unlock massive productivity gains.

The maths is stark:

• Current state: 1 in 4 firms using AI effectively

• The opportunity: £47 billion in annual productivity upside

• The bottleneck: Skills, not tools

As Prime Minister Keir Starmer put it from the main stage: "AI allows us to be more human." His point landed with every business leader in the room – automation of routine work frees people to be more creative, deliver customer value in new ways, and grow. But only if they know how to make that transition.

AI allows us to be more human - Prime Minister Keir Starmer

Why Chambers are uniquely positioned to catalyse AI Adoption

Unlike large corporates, SMEs don't have to wait for steering groups and IT approval cycles. They can adopt AI in weeks, not quarters. When a 50-person marketing agency cuts proposal time by 60% by using AI, a local manufacturer automates compliance reporting, or a boutique consultancy uses AI to deliver more tailored advice to their customer, that's not innovation theatre. That's real, margin-growing transformation.

The structural advantages are clear. Large corporates face layered procurement and 12-18 month implementation cycles that deliver marginal efficiency gains. SMEs get direct founder sign-off, go live in weeks, and see step-change productivity improvements.

Chambers have three structural advantages that make them the natural distribution channel to these SME’s at scale:

1. Trusted relationships with 200k+ firms who turn to them first for guidance

2. Local knowledge of sector-specific pain points and use cases

3. Peer-learning networks where success stories and best practices can spread organically

From policy to prosperity: The BCC AI Academy

Rather than wait for top-down mandates, BCC has moved early to enable the Chamber network to fulfil this role. Their new AI Academy, launched in partnership with PAIR, turns this vision into reality.

First, Chambers across the UK & British Chambers across the world will have the chance to upskill in AI through the BCC AI Academy, so they can lead from the front on AI adoption. Then Regional Chambers will have chance to franchise their own AI Academies and build their own AI Adoption networks for their members.

Wirral Chamber of Commerce were the first out of the blocks in April this year, with a pilot where 42 businesses joined Wirral’s AI Academy powered by Pair - with incredible uptake, and participants saving over 3 hours a week on average and 96% saying AI had boosted the quality of their work, too. Just 2 months into the pilot, the initiative has generated £0.5M of productivity gains for the regions businesses - with much more to come.

The window is now

SME AI adoption is accelerating, and it needs to. The £47 billion opportunity is unmissable.

Now is the moment for Chambers to help their members build their AI capability and unlock their region’s potential, and we’re proud to partner with Chambers ready to take up that mantle.

If you lead a Chamber of Commerce and would like to enquire about having your own AI Academy for your members, please email partner@pairnow.ai or get in touch with your POC at BCC.

Three ways forward-thinking chambers capture this wave

1. Lead, don't follow

The first Chambers to launch AI capability programmes will own their local market. Members will choose you over competitors because you delivered skills they couldn't get elsewhere. Something about not leaving SMEs behind

2. Make success visible

Your early adopters become walking case studies. When local businesses see a Chamber member winning new contracts because they deliver faster, better proposals, they want in.

3. Turn capability into community

AI adoption creates natural member clusters around shared learning. That stickiness translates directly to retention and referrals.

The first-mover advantage

Here's the reality: AI adoption among SMEs isn't slowing down - it's accelerating. The question for Chamber leaders is simple: Will your members get their AI skills from you, or from someone else?

What's missing is leadership at the local level, Chamber CEOs who recognise that AI capability isn't just another member service. It's the competitive advantage that defines which businesses thrive in the next decade.

The opportunity is immediate. The competitive advantage is real. And the window for early-mover advantage is measured in months, not years.