The University of Salford joins Turing University Network

As a member of the network, the University will be able to further its data science and AI aims with the opportunity to engage and collaborate with both the Institute and its broader networks in academia, industry and the public sector.

Initially launched as a pilot in April 2023, the Alan Turing Institute has expanded its university network to include 29 new members, taking the total number of universities in the network to 65.

It connects universities across the data science and AI ecosystem, provides access to bespoke network activity and encourages collaborations as opportunities arise.

The Turing University Network is a key component of The Alan Turing Institute’s strategy and supports the Institute in achieving its three ambitious goals; advance world-class research and apply it to national and global challenges, build skills for the future, and drive an informed public conversation. 

The University of Salford has a broad teaching and research portfolio in the AI domain. The University established its MSc in Data Science in 2016 – which is now recognised as a leading programme nationally and forms the basis to the University’s new Data Science Innovation Hub.

From a research perspective, the University has a long track record of applying data mining into real world problems within health, social finance and society - with a number of successful research projects that have applied this to both public and private sector organisations.

Professor Karl Dayson, Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise, said: “We are thrilled to announce we are becoming a member of the Turing University Network, which is testament to our world-leading expertise in applying data science to real-world challenges.

“As a member of the network, we will strengthen and deepen our ties with the Alan Turing Institute as well as the wider data science and AI community and we look forward to the opportunities this will bring to further our contribution in this area of science with such incredible world-changing potential.”

Dr Jean Innes, Chief Executive Officer of The Alan Turing Institute, said: “We’re really pleased to welcome our new members to the network. We hope that they will benefit from being part of our data science and AI group and find opportunities for new, meaningful collaborations across the data science and AI landscape.”

The University of Salford has recently extended its AI data related research into virtual and extended reality, to explore how the system-based understanding of high volume, high velocity data sets can be explored and communicated. This takes place within immersive, interactive 3D environments to develop comprehensive, intuitive understanding of data as systems within a hypothesis building methodology.

The University is also home to the North of England Robotics Innovation Centre (NERIC) - a beacon for the University’s robotics and automation specialisms. The University’s research across robotics and AI brings together talented, multidisciplinary teams in science, engineering and environments to find solutions for society, addressing a range of global challenges.

Additionally, the University’s Autonomous Systems and Robotics Research Centre (ASAR) has internationally recognised research excellence in robotics and AI. It was appointed the home of the National Advanced Robotics Research Centre in 1987 and was the founding member of the Northern Robotics Network, which became the National Robotics Network (NRN). ASAR is a spoke of the EPSRC Future AI & Robotics for Space Hub, a UK national centre of research excellence in space robots and AI funded through the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund.

To strengthen Salford’s research in the areas of AI, data science, visualisation and information security, the University has made a £84k investment in cloud infrastructure to develop a data analytics and visualisation platform.

Find out more about the University of Salford's innovation strategy.