Exeter and AWS seal collaboration to boost digital innovation and sustainability
Exeter and Amazon Web Services have signed a new agreement to increase Digital innovation, enhance skills, and address regional sustainability challenges.
The University of Exeter and cloud provider, Amazon Web Services (AWS) have formally
entered a new strategic collaboration agreement, it has been announced.
This strategic collaboration aligns with the University of Exeter’s Strategy 2030 and
represents a shared vision between AWS and the University of Exeter to transform
digital education, enhance skills literacy, and drive sustainability innovation with lasting
regional impact.
At its core, the agreement will harness cutting-edge digital and data-driven solutions to address critical sustainability challenges faced by communities, public sector entities, and civic organisations worldwide.
The agreement was formally marked at a ceremonial signing during the AWS Executive Education Summit in Chicago on 30 July 2025.
The signing was led by Mike Shore-Nye, Senior Vice-President and Registrar from the
University of Exeter, and Kim Majerus, Vice President for Education and State & Local
Government at AWS.
Speaking ahead of the signing, Mike Shore-Nye from the University of Exeter said:
“Our collaboration with AWS represents a bold step forward in our mission to lead
meaningful change through innovation.
“Together, we will provide new capabilities that empower our students, enrich our research, and create opportunities for the communities we serve. It exemplifies our Strategy 2030 commitment to deliver positive impact through world-class partnerships.”
AWS Vice President Kim Majerus added: “By combining Exeter’s academic excellence
with AWS’s cloud technology expertise, we’re not just building infrastructure – we’re
creating pathways to digital careers and fostering innovation that will benefit both
students and society.
“This collaboration exemplifies how industry and academia can work together to address global challenges while preparing the next generation of digital leaders.”
The new agreement builds on a longstanding relationship, which sees the University of
Exeter offer degree apprenticeships in partnership with Amazon, combining work
experience with academic learning. The agreement expands activity across four
interconnected workstreams – People and Place; Education; Research; and IT and
Digital Infrastructure.
Through these workstreams the collaboration will equip students and staff with digital
skills—including cloud, AI, and data literacy—through sector-leading programmes;
accelerate solutions to major public sector and regional sustainability challenges via a
jointly developed Sustainability Innovation Hub; enhance digital infrastructure and
operations across the University; and deliver regional impact, advancing social mobility
and the levelling-up agenda by creating pathways to digital careers and supporting civic
innovation.
The strategic collaboration has already delivered a key milestone with Exeter becoming
one of the founding UK member organisations of the AWS Skills to Jobs Tech Alliance,
launched in April 2025, with the goal to provide 100,000 people with AI skills by 2030.
Working in collaboration with educational institutions, government leaders, and
enterprises across the country, the programme will help learners get ready for entry-level technical careers.
The next phases will see the launch of the INSPIRE Framework project, development of digital upskilling programmes for staff and students, and joint initiatives to enhance regional digital inclusion and innovation capacity. The University and AWS will work in close alignment to regularly evaluate impact, share insights, and scale solutions across the higher education and broader public sector.
