Digital Planning director James Ferraby joined an expert Barclays panel to talk AI and tech during a major event at the Birmingham NEC.
Barclays Eagle Labs invited James to contribute to a Growing Your Business with AI session it staged during the Festival of Entrepreneurs 2025.
The festival brings together more than 3,000 founders and SME leaders for two days of networking, insight-sharing, and business growth opportunities.
Barclays is the gold sponsor of the festival, which was opened earlier in the day by Sir Liam Fox, the UK’s former Secretary of State for International Trade.
Expert AI panel
James was joined on the panel by sector experts Sadeeq Akintola (Google) and Roei Samuel (Connectd), with moderation provided by Luke Christoforidis, Head of AI at Barclays Innovation Hub.
The session focused on how artificial intelligence is reshaping startup strategies and SME growth.
Panellists addressed productivity gains, the integration of cloud technologies, and approaches for embedding AI into organisational culture.
The discussion provided practical guidance on starting with AI tools, building technical readiness, and developing team capability.
Dozens of festival delegates received direct insight into investor perspectives and real-world case studies of rapid business transformation through AI adoption, with steps for SMEs to improve scalability and competitiveness.
Automating complex industries
James highlighted Digital Planning’s focus on helping clients realise solutions to complex challenges and achieve their goals through technology.
He also described the investment the company has made in researching and developing its own AI platform, Metis, as an example of how Digital Planning is integrating advanced technology into its services.
James described the company’s approach to continuous improvement, promoting a culture of getting comfortable with discomfort, and encouraging teams to embrace the challenges associated with AI adoption.
He also stressed the importance of being platform agnostic – meaning that Digital Planning prioritises finding the right tools and solutions for the specific needs of its clients – rather than being tied to any single particular technology provider.
East Midlands high growth
Digital Planning was founded by James and business partner Mark Underwood in 2021, with the aim of advancing human capability through original digital technologies.
It works on university and other quality partnerships, making specialist AI/ML hires to aim for long-term value creation.
