Project Hopper: Building AI and digital confidence across Aberdeen

In September, Aberdeen launched Project Hopper, a global programme empowering colleagues to make better use of technology, including Microsoft Copilot. With over 1,000 colleagues now integrating Copilot into their daily workflow, we speak to project leads, Andy Wilson and Andrew Macintosh about their ambitions for the project and the importance of technology enablement.

Who was Grace Hopper and why did you name this project after her?  

Andrew: Grace Hopper was a Rear Admiral in the US Navy, a Yale mathematics PHD graduate, and one of the most influential computer scientists in history. Her work, from the 1930s onwards, helped to make computers more accessible, and she is rightly considered one of the founders of modern computing.

We chose Grace Hopper because she had a passion and belief that technology should be intuitive, and that people needed to be curious about how technology can improve how we do things. That is the guiding principle for the project.

Who is the project targeting?

Andy: Project Hopper aims to encourage digital curiosity and to help build more efficient ways of working across the whole organisation. The broader roll-out of Microsoft Copilot, in particular, is a cornerstone of the project, designed to transform how all teams work by embedding AI capabilities into everyday tasks. Building on the success of an initial pilot programme of 225 colleagues, the project has now expanded to around 1,000 users across Aberdeen.

Andrew: And we are still looking at this Copilot roll-out as if it were a pilot. We are using this as a way of testing its value within teams. But we also see this as an opportunity to provide further digital training to everyone in the organisation. We want colleagues to make the most of the tools already at their disposal, so we’re also providing additional training on the rest of the M365 suite.

What impact do you see this having on the business?

Andrew: This is more than a technology rollout - it’s a cultural shift; a chance to reimagine how we work, using new and existing tools to drive efficiency and creativity. As a group, we are working smarter, automating where it makes sense, and unlocking capacity for what matters most – improving client outcomes.

How long is this project running for, and what comes next?

Andy: The project officially runs until the end of 2025, but we know that we need to create an ongoing capability that can support continued upskilling as these technologies develop and evolve. So, we are looking to onboard digital enablement specialists who can bring together all of the resources that are out there, and build on what we hope is the success of Project Hopper.