Manchester-based ARMSA Academy has secured funding from government-backed Innovate
UK to develop innovative technology that is predicted to transform the renewable energy sector
and help us achieve key sector growth targets.
Earlier this month, the offshore wind industry unveiled an Industrial Growth Plan (IGP) to create
jobs, triple supply chain manufacturing and boost UK the economy by £25 billion by 2035.
Measures set out in the IGP would create an additional 10,000 jobs a year if we accelerate
offshore wind deployment in line with our net zero targets to 5-6 gigawatts a year.
Employment is set to rise to over 100,000 by 2030 however the UK renewable energy industry
currently suffers from a critical skills gap. A lack of skilled resources and reactive workforce
planning mean people on the ground are often left without the knowledge or tools to make agile,
informed decisions, leading to asset breakdowns, lost production, and threats to safety.
To reach our net zero targets, and accelerate the sector in line with these measures, the
renewable energy industry needs to upskill and scale at a rate never before seen.
In July 2023, ARMSA Academy launched h’alt® - game-changing technology that lowers risk
and drives performance through safety, enabling organisations to scale profitably and safely.
Innovate UK has identified the potential of h’alt® and is investing in the development and
commercialisation of the technology, enabling the renewable energy sector to grow safely at the
rapid pace the world needs.
In the most basic terms, h’alt® is a learning chatbot powered by Machine Learning (ML) to
empower learning and decision-making in the workflow. h’alt® integrates with Microsoft Teams,
making it easy to implement and users can access and type in queries on-site or at desks.
Learning in the workflow means that users can apply learning immediately rather than take time out of the work day for classroom training. Instead, h’alt® directs busy professionals to expert,
role-based content wherever and whenever they need it. Front-end loaded training content
empowers users to focus on project and activity planning and avoid costly mistakes. h’alt®
strengthens individual and collective decision-making across departments, functions and teams.
Newly launched h’alt® is being positioned as a solution to accelerate human decision-making
for building and operating renewable projects more safely and profitably than ever before.
Reporting and analytics help management identify and address key levers such as contract and
supply chain strategy, work planning processes and knowledge gaps in teams that could
adversely affect safe performance.
Already proven to enhance performance and increase profitability, the h’alt prototype is live and
is gaining traction with 3 teams and 75 users at the offshore wind turbine manufacturer Vestas
APAC. Additional funding from Innovate UK will develop the reporting function further to offer
additional data-driven opportunities for management to address key risks and deliver better
improvements early in the project lifecycle.
h’alt® has been developed and launched by ARMSA Academy whose senior team includes
CEO, Rakesh Maharaj and CIO Khalida Sureymanova who have advised and trained some of
the world’s leading energy companies and CTO James Akrigg, former Head of Technology for
Partners at Microsoft.
CEO of ARMSA Academy, Rakesh Maharaj, says “We are absolutely delighted with results
that h’alt has achieved so far. The latest round of funding from Innovate UK, will help James and
his team to develop the next-gen reporting engine which will bring enhanced management
insights for even better organisational and project results.”
CIO Khalida Suleymanova adds “Innovate UK has enabled the commercialisation of h’alt®
to scale the offshore wind market at a critical time. The industry has to scale rapidly and safely if
we are to achieve these targets set out by RenewableUK, the Crown Estate and the Offshore
Wind Industry Council.”
