2025 Business Predictions: Laura Hill, commercial litigator specialising in AI at Ward Hadaway
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Laura Hill, a commercial litigator specialising in AI at law firm Ward Hadaway.
As we move into 2025, businesses across Yorkshire and the Humber will need to grapple with a changing landscape that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI). The 2024 budget highlighted a strong commitment to fostering AI innovation, with significant funding allocated to research and development, alongside promises to establish clearer regulatory frameworks. These measures are designed to position the UK as a global leader in AI while addressing ethical and operational concerns.
For businesses, particularly in strong regional sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and professional services, the implications are profound. Anticipated regulations will likely centre on transparency, accountability and the prevention of bias in AI systems. Firms using AI for decision-making, whether in supply chain management or client interactions, will need to ensure compliance with these standards to avoid potential liability and reputational damage.
Beyond compliance, AI presents a pivotal opportunity as businesses are increasingly embracing AI not just as a tool for automation but as a strategic asset to enhance efficiencies, reduce costs and gain competitive advantages.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, adopting AI could help businesses navigate economic pressures while contributing to regional growth. However, success will depend on proactive investment in technology, workforce training and a keen eye on the regulatory horizon. As legal advisors, we encourage businesses to act now to integrate AI responsibly, ensuring compliance with legal obligations, while being primed for innovation in the years ahead.
Halifax law firm moves into Dean Clough mill conversion
Ramsdens Solicitors has completed a deal on 5,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation at Dean Clough.
Ramsdens employs 280 people across 12 offices in Yorkshire, and is relocating to Dean Clough from existing premises in Halifaxto facilitate growth.
The new office is located in Bowling Mill, one of 16 Victorian stone heritage buildings at Dean Clough. Bowling Mill is one of the latest mill buildings to be repurposed providing 75,000 sq ft of Grade A workspace over seven floors, of which 53,000 sq ft is let or under offer.
Jodie Wielgus, partner at Ramsdens Solicitors and manager of the Halifax branch, said: “We are excited to move into our new home at such an impressive location. Our move to Dean Clough Mills marks an exciting new chapter for Ramsdens Solicitors in Halifax. The modern office space is designed to enhance our services through innovation and efficiency, providing greater flexibility for our team and a more convenient location for our clients.”
Dean Clough is already home to around 150 businesses employing over 3,000 people on site. Major office occupiers include Covea Insurance, Activate Group, Chadwick Lawrence, and Prestige Gifting with many having their headquarters on the site.
Expansion of airport capacity is vital, says BCC Director General
Shevaun Haviland, Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce says expansion of the UK’s airport capacity is vital to driving economic growth and it remains a top priority for business.
Responding to reports that the Chancellor is preparing to support expansion plans at three UK airports, she said: “We wholeheartedly support a third runway at Heathrow, Gatwick’s Northern Runway Project and Luton’s expansion of terminal capacity. All three projects will help boost trade, attract international investment and bring huge benefits to SMEs in supply chains across the UK.
“Any developments must be aligned to the government’s commitments on the environment. That will require the airports, the aviation sector and ministers to work together.
“At a time of increased costs for many businesses, speeding up infrastructure investment is crucial to boosting economic activity and unlocking growth. These airport proposals must form a key part of the UK’s long-term infrastructure strategy to help businesses grow, trade and thrive.”
Humber region set for clean energy job creation bonanza
The Humber is one of four areas to benefit from Government support to create jobs in the clean energy sector, with as many as 32,000 new places being available by 2040.
Government-backed training programmes will be offered for those in key growth regions for clean energy, with flourishing offshore wind, nuclear, and solar industries. Local partners will receive funding to identify the skills support that is needed in their area to deliver clean power by 2030 – which will protect households and businesses from unstable fossil fuel markets for good.
Funding could go towards new training centres, courses or career advisers – supporting local people into opportunities in industries such as welding, electrical engineering, and construction.
The announcement has been welcomed by North East Council Leader Philip Jackson, who said: “Empowering our residents to unlock their potential and achieve their goals is critical to the future of our borough – if we are to improve health and prosperity within our communities, we must work together to ensure our people are able to take the opportunities that exist here,” he said.
Recent evidence from Humber bank industry suggests that green energy creation, decarbonisation and hydrogen opportunities are likely to create more than 32,000 jobs across the Humber by 2040.
Cllr Jackson said the new Council Plan, to be released in April, talks of the authority’s commitment to supporting a ‘Stronger Economy’ and ‘Stronger Communities’ – and a crucial part of achieving this is to improve skills.
“As our plan outlines, our ambition is for our people to be equipped with the skills they need. We know the demand is here and we do have a skills gap that must be closed. I am pleased that this has been recognised and we have been presented with this opportunity.
“We now look forward to working closely with Midlands Net Zero Hub and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to look at things that will support our residents and the sector.”
British Steel invests £26m in support for forklift truck mast industry
British Steel has opened a £26m service centre that is says makes it one of the world’s leading suppliers to the forklift truck mast industry.
The investment has been made at the company’s Special Profiles business in Skinningrove, in the North East, which specialises in manufacturing steel profiles for the earth moving, forklift, construction, shipbuilding, and mining markets.
Richard Napier, British Steel’s Sales Director, Special Profiles, says it will enable the company to explore growth opportunities across the globe for forklift mast profiles, with the new warehousing and processing facility forecast to significantly increase throughput within the next two years.
He said: “This is the largest single investment in our Special Profiles business for more than 30 years, demonstrating our owner’s commitment to strengthening British Steel’s position at the heart of UK manufacturing.
“The new facility also firmly establishes us as one of the world’s leading manufacturers and processors of value-added profiles for the forklift industry. Our extended range of products are designed and manufactured to exact customer requirements, with the new milling capability offering profiles with tolerances of just 0.1mm – precision few global competitors can match.
“We have already had extremely positive feedback about this investment from current customers, and potential new ones, and although our primary product offering will be for forklift mast profiles, we expect to expand this to include other product applications too.”
British Steel’s milling capability will primarily service the demanding high-reach forklift truck market. These vehicles are typically used to move loads in warehouses and because they operate at heights of up to eight metres, exceptionally tight tolerances are needed for the mast sections – the moving parts which enable the truck’s forks to reach, collect and move items.
Hallam University appoints Dean of Research
Sheffield Hallam University has appointed Professor Sarah Pearson as Dean of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange.
She has been at Hallam since 1997 and brings over 25 years’ experience of research leadership to the role, having overseen more than 30 projects in social policy research and evaluation and has led major evaluations of public policy across a range of agendas including anti-poverty, community regeneration and support for vulnerable groups.
Prof Pearson is currently Co-Director of the Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness, a £10m UK Research and Innovation-funded project led by Sheffield Hallam University which brings together partners from research, community, policy and civil society to develop and scale up successful community leadership approaches.
She said: “I am delighted to be taking up the role of Dean of RIKE and looking forward to leading us through the next phase of our RIKE strategy implementation, which will continue to reflect our ongoing commitment to sustainable and high-quality research with impact. My priority is to ensure that our operationalisation of the RIKE strategy supports our research communities to respond to both the opportunities and challenges that the current context presents.”
Ørsted launches plans for solar farm north of Beverley
Ørsted is asking residents for their views about a proposal to build the 320MW Kingfisher Solar Farm three miles north of Beverley.
An initial, non-statutory consultation will run from Monday 3rd February to Sunday 9th March 2025. Local residents, businesses and community groups can learn about Kingfisher and share their feedback online on the project website. They are also invited to attend any of Kingfisher’s four public events taking place throughout the consultation period, where they can discuss their questions with the Project team, which will help inform and develop the proposal for Kingfisher.
The events will be held at:
- Lockington Village Hall, Chapel Street, Lockington, Driffield YO25 9SN on Monday 10thFebruary from 3pm to 8pm
- Hutton Cranswick WI Hall, Main Street, Hutton Cranswick, Driffield YO25 9QR on Wednesday 12th February from 3pm to 8pm
- Cottingham Civic Hall, Market Green, Cottingham HU16 5QG on Friday 28th February from 3pm to 8pm
- Beverley Memorial Hall, 73-75 Lairgate, Beverley HU17 8HN on Saturday 1st March from noon until 5pm.
Labour market challenges lie ahead, says British Chambers of Commerce
The already-challenging labour market is going to get worse with the arrival of April’s significant rise in employment costs, says Jane Gratton, Deputy Director of Public Policy at the British Chambers of Commerce.
Responding to the latest information from the Office for National Statistics she said: “However, there are also signs of further loosening as unemployment ticks up, vacancies continue to fall and economic inactivity dips.
“The full impact of the changes to national insurance and the minimum wage, announced at the Budget, won’t be fully seen until later in the year. However, the warning lights on recruitment, employment and training are already flashing.
“Our latest survey paints a worrying picture of weak workforce growth, persistent hiring difficulties and cuts in workplace training. It also revealed that 55% of firms are planning to put up prices, with labour cost the main driver.
“To grow the economy, we need businesses and the workforce to thrive. Government must ease the cost-pressures on firms so they can invest in people. Working proactively with employers to tackle the long running skills crisis is likely to become even more important in the months to come.”
Cranswick acquires East Yorkshire pig genetics company
Food producer Cranswick has acquired fellow East Yorkshire firm JSR Genetics from JSR Farms. The transaction includes the pig genetics and pig farming operations of JSR Farms.
JSR Genetics is a pig genetics company known for its innovative genetic solutions for cost effective pig production. Genetic improvement is centred around sustainability and efficiency. Extensive research and innovation deliver pig genetics with a continuous improvement in production efficiency, meat quality, animal health and robustness.
JSR Genetics is an existing, long-standing supplier to Cranswick.
Adam Couch, CEO of Cranswick, said: “I am delighted to announce the acquisition of JSR Genetics, a leading pig genetics supplier and commercial pig producer based in East Yorkshire.
“This acquisition increases the scale of our indoor pig production, further securing supply for our customers’ pork requirements.
“The addition of an integrated pig genetics supply chain will allow us to drive ongoing improvements in production efficiency, meat quality, animal health and robustness, for the long-term benefit of our customers and the UK consumer.”
Duo of speculative warehouse units reach practical completion in south Leeds
Two speculative warehouse units developed by Baytree Logistics Properties Ltd have reached practical completion.
The scheme totals 552,000 sq ft and is situated in Stourton, south Leeds.
Units 1 and 3, which comprise 76,231 sq ft and 145,454 sq ft, have now reached practical completion, while Unit 2 is available on a build-to-suit basis and benefits from detailed planning consent for a single 329,000 sq ft warehouse.
This development, which is the only speculative scheme in the Yorkshire region built to BREEAM Outstanding standards, showcases a host of wellbeing, sustainability and energy saving measures.
Efficient management and monitoring of the building systems is controlled by sensor suite technologies which are linked to highly efficient lighting and air handling systems in the offices.
There is, additionally, biophilia in the reception areas and a “City Tree” at the entrance to the development which removes harmful particulates from the air.
The scheme has been built to EPC “A” rated and WELL Ready standards.
Tom Goode, partner and specialist in industrial and logistics at the Leeds office of Knight Frank, said: “These measures mean that Baytree Leeds is setting a new benchmark for the logistics sector in Yorkshire which, combined with its prime West Yorkshire location and best-in-class specification, will ensure that this exciting new development will prove extremely popular. We are already experiencing strong interest.”
Casey Ferguson, development manager at Baytree, said: “We are proud to announce the practical completion of phase 1 at Baytree Leeds, our latest best-in-class logistics scheme. This development marks a significant milestone as the first BREEAM Outstanding speculative development in the north of England, setting a new benchmark in ESG for the region.
“The scheme also provides some much-needed speculative development in a prime Leeds location just 1 mile from both the M1 and M621 junctions. Given the location and leading-edge specification, we are confident this will attract a lot of interest from our customers.”
Knight Frank is marketing Baytree Leeds alongside JLL & DTRE.
