MBA Employers Want AI Skills — And They Say Higher Ed Must Step Up

A new report finds that UK businesses are increasingly eager to work with university researchers to close widening skills gaps — particularly in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analysis — but struggle to access the expertise they need.

The report, Equipping Researchers for Impact: Unlocking the Potential of University-Business Relationships, commissioned by the Developing Business-Aware Academics project at the University of Exeter Business School and authored by CBI Economics, warns that skills shortages are now seen as a major threat to UK competitiveness. 

In a survey of 235 UK businesses across all sizes, sectors, and regions, an average of 85% identified skills gaps as a top concern — with shortages in AI among the most pressing.

BIZ WANTS AI EXPERTISE — AND IT’S TURNING TO HIGHED ED TO FIND IT

As AI continues to reshape industries and accelerate business transformation, nearly half (44%) of large companies say they would prefer to engage with academic experts in universities to address AI talent shortages rather than relying solely on external hires or outsourcing. Yet businesses often find the pathways to collaborate with academia overly complex, opaque, or poorly aligned with their immediate needs.

“Businesses are expressing a clear wish to work with universities,” says Louise Hellem, chief economist at the CBI. “At a time when the UK is seeking to go further and faster in its pursuit of economic growth, as well as address chronic skills shortages and embed cutting-edge technologies across its economy, the role of universities as connectors between academic research and business innovation has never been more vital.”

The findings fit into a broader trend emerging across business education. As Poets&Quants has reported, the 2025 Graduate Business Curriculum Summary Report shows that AI is no longer treated as a niche topic, but is being embedded deeply into MBA and master’s programs. Schools are revamping curricula to prioritize AI-driven decision-making, data analytics, and predictive modeling alongside traditional leadership training. Two years ago, in fall 2023, BGC reported that three of four surveyed B-schools had already integrated AI into their curricula.

Employers are demanding it, after all. According to the 2024 GMAC Corporate Recruiters Survey, global employers now seek MBA graduates who possess AI and machine learning expertise — but they equally want professionals who can combine technical savvy with strategic thinking, communication skills, and leadership.

MBA PROGRAMS RACE TO INTEGRATE AI AS EMPLOYERS SHIFT HIRING PRIORITIES

Top programs are responding with not only curriculum changes but entire tracks — and in some cases whole programs — focused on AI. Wharton, for example, recently launched a dedicated AI concentration for MBAs, and schools like INSEAD, London Business School, and MIT Sloan are embedding AI modules across core courses.

Against this backdrop, the University of Exeter-CBI report warns that unless universities adapt how they prepare researchers — not just teaching technical skills, but providing sector-specific training, immersive business experiences, and networks — a huge opportunity will be missed.

“Researchers are a largely untapped talent pool rich in higher-level skills,” says Professor Alison Truelove, director of the Developing Business-Aware Academics project at the University of Exeter Business School. “Support for researchers must be at the center of strategies to reshape academia-business engagement. 

“Importantly, universities and funders need to incentivize and reward researchers, and recognize that business engagement and research excellence can be mutually beneficial: they both champion innovation, offer new perspectives and open new paths to funding.”

SCHOOLS WARNED: ADAPT RESEARCHER TRAINING OR MISS A CRITICAL OPPORTUNITY

The survey also reveals that smaller businesses, in particular, value access to universities’ specialist facilities and consultancy but are often discouraged by the difficulty of navigating collaboration processes. 

Businesses across the board called for simplified engagement pathways, stronger networking initiatives connecting researchers to industry needs, and better alignment between funding opportunities and partnership goals.

The report posits that universities are uniquely positioned to act as hubs for local and national economic growth — but only if they make systemic changes to reward industry collaboration alongside academic output. 

The full report, Equipping Researchers for Impact: Unlocking the Potential of University-Business Relationships, is available here.

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