Ascent Group and Oxford Process Excellence expand collaboration for building AI capabilities

In 2023, Ascent Group entered into a strategic partnership with Oxford Process Excellence (OXPEX), with the goal of bringing world-class knowledge and expertise to Eastern Europe. The initial focus of the partnership was on Systems Thinking and Lean Six Sigma capabilities, which have already been successfully implemented in several major organisations in Romania.

Now, the partnership is evolving further. Ascent Group and Oxford Process Excellence expanding their collaboration into the field of Artificial Intelligence. The aim is to build advanced AI capabilities for organisations across the region.

Oxford Process Excellence (OXPEX), founded in the UK, serves as a bridge between academia and business. The company is dedicated to helping organisations become more effective and efficient by focusing on customer needs, stakeholder value, and achieving more with fewer resources. The company is led by Dr. Robert Collins, an international consultant and educator who teaches Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning at the University of Oxford. Dr. Collins is widely recognised as a leading voice in helping individuals and organisations understand how emerging technologies—particularly AI—are transforming the workplace and society at large. He is also the author of the ‘Sent-Ai-ance model’ – a key tool for enabling AI integration with people and process development.

OXPEX’s expertise spans organisational education and training, as well as direct collaboration with industry partners on innovation projects. Its work is structured around four key themes: Lean Thinking, Design Thinking, Systems Thinking, and Agile Practices—brought together in its proprietary Four Thoughts Framework.

Ascent Group is a consulting and training firm headquartered in Romania and operating mainly across Eastern Europe. The company designs customised education programmes in the fields of Strategic Leadership, Human Resource Management, Innovation, Foresight and Futures Thinking, and Change Management. Ascent Group works with both local and regional companies as well as global brands, being known for its client-centric approach and high commitment in any project.

Together, Ascent Group and Oxford Process Excellence are now joining forces even more, committed to supporting organisations in enhancing their capabilities and embracing the opportunities created by AI and other transformative technologies.