Imperial and the University of Liverpool will lead a £12 million research center to develop cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) for chemistry.
The £12m funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is matched by £19m from consortium partners.
This new interdisciplinary research hub aims to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the AI chemical revolution. Professor Kim Jelfs
The AI for Chemistry Hub, AlChemy, will bring together leading academic researchers, industry and other stakeholders to promote a collaborative community, provide training and create new approaches to the rapidly evolving AI-chemistry interface.
The Hub will transform chemistry’s engagement with AI from a relatively niche activity to a core platform methodology, positioning the UK as the world leader in digital chemistry.
AI-based technologies such as machine learning, automation, and robotics have the potential to support faster chemical discoveries that address key societal needs, but this requires the coordinated engagement of AI leaders and chemistry to remain at the forefront of innovation in this field. .
AIChemy will ensure that the chemical sciences community is able to harness the AI revolution so that researchers can provide solutions to global challenges such as net zero and global health.
The AI chemical revolution
Professor Kim Jelfsfrom the Department of Chemistry and the Institute for Digital Molecular Design and Manufacturing (DigiFAB) at Imperial, and Professor Andy Cooper, from the Department of Chemistry and the University’s Materials Innovation Facility (MIF) from Liverpool, co-lead this unique consortium.
Professor Jelfs said: “AI has the potential to transform chemistry and this new interdisciplinary research hub aims to ensure the UK is at the forefront of the AI chemical revolution. »
Professor Cooper said: “This is the UK’s first academic and industry institute dedicated to supporting collaboration between chemistry and AI researchers.
“Chemistry researchers have huge opportunities to work more effectively with AI researchers, and this new hub will bring together two distinct disciplines to build a cohesive new UK research community. »
The UK-wide consortium brings together internationally renowned AI researchers and those at the interface of AI for chemistry from nine academic institutions (Imperial College London, University of Liverpool, Queen’s University Belfast, UCL and the universities of Cambridge, Manchester, Oxford, Southampton and Strathclyde) alongside more than 15 industrial partners.
AIChemy will draw on specialist facilities and world-renowned research institutes where interdisciplinary work already exists. These include DigiFAB and IX at Imperial College London and MIF in Liverpool.
Groundbreaking innovations in AI
AIChemy: AI in Chemistry Hub is one of nine hubs funded by an £80 million investment announced today by UKRI.
Professor Charlotte Deane, Executive Chair of the EPSRC, said: “The hubs will deliver groundbreaking AI innovations and tools across a range of sectors from healthcare to energy to cities. smart and the environment. Only by solving key challenges and improving our understanding of AI will we achieve the increased productivity and economic growth that this technology promises.
Professor Mary Ryan, Vice-Provost (Research and Business) at Imperial, said: “We are at the beginning of a revolution in all areas of technology, driven and enabled by advances in AI.
“Taking advantage of this for the UK chemicals sector requires deep collaboration across domains, as well as the development and deployment of new discovery and translation tools. I am excited to see the impact this hub will no doubt generate over the course of years to come.”
AI Minister Viscount Camrose said: “The investments we are making in these new projects are only possible because of our pro-innovation approach to AI. The response to the consultation on the White Paper on AI Regulation we presented today will enable us to move forward with this plan, driving forward the next wave of brilliant innovation in AI AI.
“These hubs will drive new cutting-edge advances, from health treatments and more energy-efficient electronics to machine learning and chemical discovery.”
About the institutes
THE Institute for Digital Molecular Design and Manufacturing (DigiFAB) at Imperial is leading a new era of digital molecular design and manufacturing for a smart, healthy and sustainable society. The Institute’s vision is to transform chemical design and manufacturing away from slow, labor-intensive manual methods and toward highly automated, data-driven approaches that capitalize on the progress of the fourth industrial revolution.
Based on the White City Campus of Imperial College London, IX is a co-located space that leverages the university’s long-standing excellence in AI. Through a series of educational programs and the recent launch of its Business Partners membership program, IX has created an entrepreneurial environment to address major societal challenges.
His research focuses on both fundamental AI and its applications, with the goal of bringing real benefits to humanity and scientific exploration over the next five to ten years. The impact of these research initiatives extends to solving pressing problems in health, sustainability, economics and defense.
Professor Sophia Yalirakico-director of IX, said: “Located in the White City Innovation District, IX will be a springboard for AIChemy’s business, working collaboratively alongside our AI experts in both foundational and application areas.
THE Materials Innovation Factory at the University of Liverpool is a state-of-the-art £81 million facility dedicated to advanced materials research. It brings together cutting-edge materials chemistry expertise with the latest computing and robotics equipment to accelerate research and reduce the time needed to develop new products to address a range of societal challenges.
