Building AI-Readiness at the Heart of UK Steel Manufacturing

At Nightingale HQ, we believe that meaningful AI adoption in industry starts with leadership. Last week, we delivered an AI Readiness workshop to the full leadership team at Tata Steel UK one of the most strategically important technology businesses in the UK.

Tata Steel UK plays a central role in the UK industrial economy, underpinning critical national infrastructure and key sectors including construction, automotive, packaging, engineering and energy. Its Port Talbot operations sit at the heart of steelmaking in the UK and support extensive domestic supply chains. Looking ahead, Tata Steel UK will be pivotal to the future of British manufacturing through its transition to lower-CO2 steel production through its multi-billion-pound investment in electric arc furnace technology, backed by UK Government support, while remaining a major employer and skills anchor across the UK.

From AI Interest to Leadership Confidence

The session was designed and delivered by Nightingale HQ co-founders Ruth Kearney and Steph Locke, drawing on deep experience at the intersection of AI, data, and real-world industrial operations. Both have been training leadership teams in AI readiness since 2019. Rather than focusing on hype or abstract use cases, the workshop centered on:

• Accelerating AI readiness across the leadership team
• Building an AI mindset grounded in operational reality
• Moving leaders from interest in AI to confidence in decision-making and execution

At this scale, AI adoption is not a technology problem, it’s a leadership challenge, and the approach reflected that reality throughout.

L-R Rajesh Nair CEO Tata Steel UK, Stephanie Locke Head of Product & Ruth Kearney CEO Nightingale HQ, Nicholas Reeks IT Director Tata Steel UK.

Creating a Shared Language for AI

What made the session particularly powerful was the breadth of leadership in the room. Participants represented Production, IT, Operations, HR, Finance, Compliance, and Legal. This cross-functional mix is critical, as AI does not sit neatly within a single department. Successful adoption depends on shared understanding across operational, technical, regulatory, and people-focused roles, and the workshop helped establish a common language for AI across the organisation.

Reflecting on the session, Rajesh Nair, CEO of Tata Steel UK, said:

“As we invest in the future of UK steelmaking, including major transformation programmes at Port Talbot, it is essential that our leadership teams are equipped to understand and lead with AI. This workshop helped create clarity, shared understanding, and momentum around how AI can support our people, operations, and long-term strategy.”

Turning Strategy into Action with Florence

The workshop was enabled by Florence, an AI Strategy Agent developed by Nightingale HQ to help organisations move faster from ambition to action. Florence supports leadership teams to:

• Develop a clear AI strategy aligned to business priorities
• Identify and shape high-value AI opportunities
• Turn ideas into well-defined project briefs ready for implementation.

As Steph Locke, Co-founder and Head of Product at Nightingale HQ, explained:

“Florence bridges the gap between strategy and delivery, helping leadership teams prioritise the right initiatives, understand data and capability requirements, and set projects up for success from day one.”

From a technology leadership perspective, Nicholas Reeks, IT Director at Tata Steel UK, also added:

“What stood out about this session was its practicality. It helped our leadership team cut through the noise around AI and focus on where it can genuinely add value across our operations, systems, and people. The structured approach gave us a shared framework we can now build on.”

Enabling Practical AI Leadership

Manufacturing organisations like Tata Steel UK are under immense pressure from cost, productivity, skills shortages, sustainability targets, and regulatory change. AI has the potential to be transformative but only when leaders are equipped to lead it with clarity and confidence.

Commenting on the engagement, Ruth Kearney, CEO of Nightingale HQ, said:

“We’re proud to support Tata Steel UK on this journey and excited to see how their leadership team continues to turn AI ambition into action. Real impact comes when leaders are confident making informed strategic decisions about AI.

This workshop was about enabling exactly that: practical, grounded AI leadership that can translate into real operational impact.